Demon Life
by BuddhaStar
Summary: A new mysterious case has surfaced...people die but then come back to life...candles in the Castle of Candles relight themselves, but are dimmer. What is the source of these strange happenings? And why are Tsuzuki and Hisoka pretending to be cops? R&R!
1. Next Victims Found

Authors' Notes or commentary (whatever you wanna call it):  
  
BuddhaFrog: My phone won't work! My mom bought a new house and I can't call her cause my phone won't work! *she says as she shakes the phone up and down* Oh, yeah, the story wait a minute! *sighs and slumps down into a chair, giving up on phone* So, nothing really happens in this first chapter . . . it is just plot, help along, whatever you call that (setup). Well, there's some cuddling, Yay cuddle! BUT, I would appreciate it, if our readers, if we have any readers, which I know we have a couple b/c we've gotten a little bit of feed back. I love those readers, I LOOOVVVEEE those readers! Anyhow, I appreciate those readers who give us feedback, and I'm gonna cry, cause nobody loves us. I'm gonna think we're perfect b/c nobody send us anything! Nothing, no one telling us we suck, no one sending anything to tell us we suck, no one telling us we're awesome! We're just posting on the web for nobody! And yes, I did slip into a southern accent, but I don't care! I feel unloved, and I'm gonna cry, and if BuddhaFrog gets mad and cries you people don't get no chocolate! An' yes, Ah know Ah talk to much. An' why the hell ain't muh phone workin'. Look Ah have a signal! Luv an' Peace!  
  
MorningStar: *o.O, looks at BuddhaFrog like she's lost her mind* Oooookay, welll, yeah. So she's kinda, ummm, crazy. But we all knew that, we love her anyway! Okay, so this story took a long time to write, b/c we had to do a lot of research, plus the fact that we also have a million other things to do. But we love our readers and we wanted to get this up as soon as possible, so I sat down and FINALLY finished it!! YAY!! Okay, we'll, not the whole story, just the first chapter. Anyway, this one is going to be longer than the "Affinity" duo. A LOT longer! It takes place about a year after after the "Affinity" story. Well, as always, we hope you enjoy reading, this. Please, read and review, we do want to hear from our readers. As we said, just review us to tell us we suck if that's what you think, or tell us we're doing great. Whatever we don't care, so long as we get SOMETHING! Okay, here's a little hint as to what's going to happen in the next chapter; Tsuzuki and Hisoka uncover interesting facts about the case . . . Detective Hatoyama isn't what she appears to be . . . The demon's plot is hinted at! HAHAHA, I'm evil! For our Fanficiton.net fans out there; yes, I did take the second chapter of "Affinity" off the website, b/c it just didn't make sense to have the first part of both chapters when you don't know what's going on with the second chapter without the end of the first, so if you want to finish the story you have to go to our YnM shrine. Sorry, but Fanfiction.net's rules about NC-17 ratings kinda prevent us from posting the whole story:D Let's see anything else . . . Oh, yes, this story I rated R, b/c in the future more will happen to make it R. Well, that's about it for now. DAMN MURAKI!!  
  
Holli: Wah...no porno this time...:( LOL, that's all right, their story this time around is in-ter-esting! So my kitty Gizmo got fixed this past Thursday (10/16/03). Brought him home this past Friday...he never flinched! Bouncing 'round the house like a maniac, like nothing happened! WELL...he don't miss his balls, do he? I went to my friend Zach's home this past weekend...yay for eating chili with people I don't know...YAY!!! Oh well, this weekend I got Japanese version Yu Yu Hakusho manga, vol. 15 & 16 for six dollars! ^_^ And the album Dummy by Portishead...I still have yet to listen to it, but I already know I love the Roads song. *gee!* ^_^  
  
Demon Life  
Chapter One: Next Victims Found  
  
He ran down the alleyway. His breath was torn from his lungs in painful gasps. He didn't know what the hell was chasing him. He chanced a glance behind him. A flash of wings, blood red. Long white hair. He pumped his legs harder, desperate. He felt his heart beating in his chest, harder, harder, he couldn't go on. He stumbled. Fangs bit. Claws swiped. Darkness.  
  
In The Castle of Candles a flame was snuffed as if by some invisible wind. Strangely, that same candle relit itself only moments later. The flame was dimmer, smaller, but there.  
  
Chief Konoe stared at the empty chair that *should* have held Tsuzuki. He looked back up at Hisoka, "He's your partner. Where the hell is he?!"  
  
Hisoka stared at the chief incredulously, "How would I know? I may be his partner, but I don't know where he is every minute of the day!"  
  
Just then, the door burst open and a whirlwind entered.  
  
"Tsuzuki! Where the HELL have you been?!" Chief Konoe bellowed, but as soon as he said this he saw *exactly* where Tsuzuki had been. The violet-eyed man placed three small boxes with steaming apple pies in them down in front of him as he took his seat next to Hisoka. "What the hell are those?"  
  
Tsuzuki stared adoringly at the mini pies in front of him, "Apple pies! Fresh from the oven. I found a little shop in Kyoto that bakes them fresh *every* morning!"  
  
Suddenly the pies that had been right in front of him were gone. Tsuzuki looked up frantically to find all three boxes in Tatsumi's hands. "Really, Tsuzuki-san? *Three* apple pies? Are you really going to eat these all by yourself?"  
  
Tsuzuki whimpered, "Tatsumi-san, please give those back! Please!"  
  
"Were you planning on eating these in front of us?"  
  
"N-no, I was going to wait until after the meeting," Tsuzuki was on his knees in front of Tatsumi, his hands clasped in front of him, his eyes big and round like a puppy-dog's.  
  
"Oh, so you were just going to tease us with the smell throughout the meeting, without offering any to us? I don't think that's very nice of you, Tsuzuki-san."  
  
Tatsumi handed Chief Konoe the boxes, Tsuzuki never took his eyes off the pies. Chief Konoe took them from Tatsumi, "You know, now that Tatsumi mentions it, I think I'm getting rather hungry, myself. Anyone else feeling hungry?"  
  
Hands raised all around the table. Chief Konoe looked down at Tsuzuki, "Why don't you go get a knife and plates and forks for everyone?"  
  
"B-but. . ."  
  
"GO!"  
  
Tsuzuki stood up and dragged his feet out of the meeting room to find what the chief had asked for. When he returned, it took only a few brief moments, and a couple of cuts before every single one of the pies was cut and served around the table. Gushoushin, Hisoka, Tatsumi, Watari, and Chief Konoe ate their pieces in relish. Tsuzuki stared at his small half piece of pie, depressed. He had meant to save those pies for just him and Hisoka to share at home, and maybe after the pies were gone . . .  
  
"Ouch! What'd you do that for?" Tsuzuki yelped to Hisoka.  
  
"Keep your mind off of *that* please," Hisoka growled quietly. "Just eat your pie."  
  
"It's so small, though." Tsuzuki speared the small half pie and stuffed it in his mouth.  
  
"Now that we have all had dessert, let's get on with the meeting," Chief Konoe said, putting down his fork. "Gushoushin, would you please?"  
  
Gushoushin turned off the lights and started running the projector. The bird's high pitched, squeaky voice pierced the room, "The Count has told us that in the past month ten candles have gone out and then relit themselves only moments later. The strange thing is that the flames don't burn brightly when they relight, they are small and weak, as if the person returns only half alive."  
  
"Are the deaths reported or are they brought back before anyone realizes they are dead?" Hisoka asked. Tsuzuki stared blankly at the screen, his mind wandering aimlessly.  
  
*I hate meetings. They're so boring. Hisoka looks so cute when he's focused on something. I wish we could go home so he could focus on me. I can't believe they ate my pies! I was saving those! I had plans for those pies! I was going to share them with Hisoka, and afterwards. . . I could lick the crumbs and sticky-sweet filling off his lips. I could taste the apple-pie in his mouth. I could. . . OUCH!!!*  
  
Tsuzuki glanced down at a furious and blazing red Hisoka. Emerald eyes glared into repentant, yet mischievous, amethyst ones.  
  
Gushoushin, completely oblivious to what was going on with the two men, answered Hisoka's question, "The bodies are found and the deaths are reported as murders. However, no mark has been found and no traces of poison have been found on, or in, any of the bodies. The only conclusion the coroners have been able to come to is that the victims' hearts just stopped for unknown reasons."  
  
"What about when they come back to life? Do they just get up and walk out of the hospitals? How do they act? Do they realize they were dead? What about the families, police, and doctors?" Watari piped in.  
  
"We don't know much about how they act after they are reanimated, or what they think. We do know that the hospitals just claim the victims were misdiagnosed. . ."  
  
"How do you *misdiagnose* death?" Hisoka asked incredulously.  
  
Gushoushin shrugged, "That is just what the hospitals claim. As far as we know the victims don't realize they were ever dead. The families believe it to be a miracle, and the police still treat it the cases as murders, even though they don't have any evidence to support their theory. The only thing they do have is that every victim was found with a similar expression of fear on their faces."  
  
"Is there any common factor linking the victims?"  
  
"All the deaths happened within a five mile radius of each other. The victims all have two common links. One, they all had something tragic happen to them in their life, and two, all of them had unusually strong spiritual energy."  
  
"Who could be killing all these people without poison and without leaving any mark?" Watari asked.  
  
"Well, the murders themselves aren't our problem, the human police can handle that. We have to find the person or thing responsible for bringing them back," Tatsumi said, pushing his glasses up.  
  
"Could it be a necromancer?" Hisoka asked.  
  
"No. Necromancers do not bring someone back halfway. They only bring back a ghost of the person, a memory of what that person was. Necromancers can't truly bring a person back to life," Gushoushin said.  
  
"What about someone like Muraki?"  
  
"No, Muraki brought the person's entire spirit back, he just kept them under hypnotic control. Whatever, or whoever, is doing this doesn't want the whole spirit back."  
  
"Are we even sure they *are* murders?" Hisoka asked.  
  
"We are almost positive that they are murders. However, to make sure, you and Tsuzuki will have to do a little investigating into the murders as well. Sorry, Tatsumi, but those are orders directly from the Count. Your main goal is, of course, to find out who, or what, is bringing the spirits back, but to find that out, you must find out how they are murdered."  
  
"What's the difference between someone who is half-alive and someone who is fully alive?" Tsuzuki asked.  
  
"The main difference, from what we can tell, is that a person who is only half-alive is controlled by some outside force. For instance, with Muraki, he brought the whole spirit back and the person could function without his constant guide and supervision. At the same time Muraki had the ability to control the person whenever he wanted too. We *believe* that with someone who is only half-alive the person, or thing, who brought them back must keep some sort of observance or guide on them at all times."  
  
Tsuzuki glanced out the window at the gently falling sakura petals. *It's such a pretty day, and, yet, I'm stuck in this stupid meeting! I wish they would get this meeting over with! Maybe I could go back to that little shop and get some more apple-pies. Hmmm, I wonder if they would have anymore? I hope they aren't sold out. Then Hisoka and I could eat those ones. Hmmm, maybe while I'm at the shop I could buy some chocolate sauce. . . Mmmmmm, that would be fun. Hisoka covered in warm chocolate sauce. I could. . . OUCH!*  
  
Hisoka's quick kick to Tsuzuki's leg brought the older Shinigami back the meeting. He looked at his partner, who was making a point of *not* looking at him.  
  
Gushoushin turned the projector off and the lights in the room came up, "That's about all the information we have right now."  
  
"When do you want us to leave?" Tsuzuki stood and stretched.  
  
"Immediately," Chief Konoe said as he, too, stood up.  
  
"We expect this case to take about two or three weeks, so I have arranged for you and Tsuzuki to be staying in a hotel near the center of where the attacks have been taking place," Tatsumi handed an envelope to Hisoka, "Here is the hotel name, a map of where the attacks have been, and a budget. Kurosaki-kun, keep Tsuzuki-san's sweet tooth under control. I'm not going to send you two any extra money."  
  
"Tatsuuumiii, that's not fair! Why are you giving Hisoka all that? You think I can't handle it?" Tsuzuki whined.  
  
Tatsumi glared at Tsuzuki, "I'm giving it to Kurosaki-kun because I know *he* will actually pay attention to the budget."  
  
"But if we have a budget I won't be able to eat dessert!"  
  
Tatsumi glared at Tsuzuki until the violet-eyed man looked away in defeat. Tatsumi turned back to Hisoka, "Good luck you two. Try to solve it as soon as possible, maybe we can save some money." Tatsumi left the meeting room to organize his papers.  
  
Hisoka looked at Tsuzuki, the envelope in his hand, "We better get ready. I want to leave as soon as possible."  
  
Tsuzuki brightened suddenly and he skipped out the door. Watari wondered what had made the dark-haired Shinigami so happy, but stopped when he looked at Hisoka. The wheat-haired teen was a furious shade of red and he was glaring daggers at his partner's retreating back. Watari smiled, "Are you *sure* you can handle Tsuzuki's sweet-tooth, Bon?"  
  
Hisoka's face got darker, "I can handle him. If it's up to me, he won't be getting any sweets while we're there."  
  
Watari chuckled and tickled 003's chin, "Good luck then. With both the case and controlling Tsuzuki."  
  
Hisoka walked out of the meeting room, glaring down at his feet. *Idiot Tsuzuki and his perverted thoughts. Why do they have to be so damned loud?*  
  
Three hours later the two Shinigami walked into the lobby of the hotel they would be staying at while working on this case.  
  
"Stay here, I'll go check us in," Hisoka glared at a still smiling Tsuzuki.  
  
Tsuzuki watched Hisoka walk to the counter and talk to the clerk. *He's so graceful, and the great thing is that he is totally unaware of it. If I say something he just blushes and calls me an idiot. I still can't believe he loves me. I can't wait until we get into the hotel room . . .*  
  
Hisoka whirled around and stared daggers at the older Shinigami, his face bright red. Tsuzuki ducked his head and tried to concentrate on anything except his beautiful partner. He looked around the lobby, his violet eyes landing on a sign advertising free buffets for all meals for guests. *Free meals! That means free dessert! Yay! That means I can eat all the sweets I want without going over the budget! Thank you, Tatsumi. A private hotel room for me and Hisoka and all the desserts I could eat every meal, this case is going to be fun. I wonder why Hisoka is taking so long? He usually takes only a few minutes. I wonder if we'll have time to eat before we investigate? Hmmm, maybe we'll even have time to go up to the room and . . .*  
  
"Ouch!" Tsuzuki looked at Hisoka, "What'd you hit me for?"  
  
The green-eyed Shinigami glared at his partner, "Baka. Can't you keep your thoughts off of that for even five minutes?"  
  
Tsuzuki grinned, "Not when I have something so delicious to think about."  
  
Hisoka growled and his cheeks burned red, "Shut up and come on. I want to start investigating."  
  
The two Shinigami stared at the sprawling city beneath them.  
  
"Where should we start?" Hisoka asked floating next to Tsuzuki.  
  
"We could either start with the sites where the bodies were found or we could talk to the people who were killed," Tsuzuki was all business now that they were on the job.  
  
"Let's check out some of the murder sites first," Hisoka looked at the map he held in his hand. "The first one took place here, near the market."  
  
"Let's go then." The two Shinigami shimmered and disappeared.  
  
They stood in an alley that looked out at the hustle and bustle of the Nagasaki market at mid-day. There was still police tape cordoning off the alley from the public. Tsuzuki glanced at his partner. Hisoka was breathing heavily and staring straight ahead.  
  
"'Soka? 'Soka, are you alright?" Tsuzuki placed a hand on his partner's arm; the teen was shaking all over.  
  
"They were afraid. No, terrified. The feeling, it's . . . I'm surprised you can't feel it. It's overwhelming. Tsuzuki, they were so very afraid. Something's chasing them, something horrible. No, no, I don't want to die, please, leave me alone!" Hisoka fell against the wall, wrapped his arms around his knees, and started to rock back and forth, tears streaming down his pale face.  
  
Tsuzuki ran to him and enfolded the teen in his arms, "'Soka, come on, 'Soka, listen to my voice. Those aren't your emotions. Come on, Koibito. Shhh, it's okay, nothing is chasing you. There is nothing there. 'Soka."  
  
Hisoka stared into amethyst eyes, drinking in the love and worry that he felt emanating from Tsuzuki. These emotions were fresh, and stronger than the fear that seemed to be soaked into the very bricks of the buildings around him. He focused on those emotions radiating like the sun's rays from Tsuzuki and slowly his breathing calmed and he was able to raise his shields against those horribly vivid scenes.  
  
Hisoka stood up and looked around the alley, Tsuzuki scrambled up and looked at his partner, "Are you okay now, 'Soka?"  
  
"Hai. I just wasn't expecting the emotions to be this strong. Thank you, Tsuzuki," Hisoka glanced up at his lover and smiled shyly.  
  
Tsuzuki smiled back, leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly over Hisoka's. "That is what partners are for, Koibito. Now, what did you sense?"  
  
Hisoka looked around the alley, "Whoever it was, they really were murdered. They were chased here by something. Whatever that something was, it attacked them. I don't know why the coroner's report didn't show the marks, but. . . this feeling is real."  
  
"What the hell are you two doing here?" Tsuzuki and Hisoka whirled around and stared at the woman standing in the entrance to the alley-way.  
  
Tsuzuki and Hisoka glanced at each other. No one was supposed to be able to see them while they were in spirit-mode. Tsuzuki glanced around the alley just to make sure there were no others.  
  
"Yeah, I'm talkin' to you! The only two people in here. This is a restricted area!" the woman advanced towards the two Shinigami. She was about as tall as Tsuzuki, had long *white* hair that flowed straight down her back to her knees, she had long limbs and walked with an almost ethereal grace. Her eyes, a vivid mint green, were flashing dangerously, and her thick, blood red lips were pursed. She had on a tight black tank top stretched over her chest, tight jeans over wide hips, and calf high brown boots. She also had a gun holster, complete with gun, strapped over her shirt.  
  
Tsuzuki stood there with his mouth open and a panicked look on his face. Hisoka took on the air of someone used to giving orders, "My name is Officer Kurosaki Hisoka. This is my partner Detective Tsuzuki Asato. We are here investigating the recent murders. What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm Detective Hatoyama Kimiko. I've been working this case since the very beginning, and I wasn't informed that I would be receiving any help on this case! I want to see both your badges."  
  
Hisoka stared calmly at the woman, "Show us yours first."  
  
Detective Hatoyama pulled out a slim black leather wallet and flipped it open, revealing police badge and her identification as a police officer for the city of Nagasaki. She flipped the wallet closed again and glared at the two Shinigami, "There. Now let me see your badges."  
  
It was Hisoka's turn to look lost. Tsuzuki snapped into action; he started searching through his pockets, presumably for the badge Detective Hatoyama had asked for. Hisoka took Tsuzuki's lead and started to search through his own pockets.  
  
Hisoka glared at Tsuzuki, "Baka, why didn't you remind me to grab my badge?! Don't tell me you forgot yours, too?!"  
  
Tsuzuki hung his head and glanced up at Detective Hatoyama, "It seems that my partner and I left our badges at our hotel room. Officer Kurosaki is a rookie, he's only been on the force for a month now, so him forgetting his badge is excusable. As for me. . . well, I have no excuse other than sheer forgetfulness. If you would be patient with us, we could go back to our hotel room and retrieve them."  
  
The female detective glared suspiciously at the two, "Very well, but I am going to accompany you. I don't want any baka reporters mucking up my case."  
  
Tsuzuki nodded his head and led the way out of the alley and into the busy marketplace. The detective fell into step beside Hisoka.  
  
"How old are you?" she asked as they weaved their way through the crowd.  
  
"Why?" Hisoka didn't want to talk to this woman. In fact, he wanted to get as far away from her as possible. There was just something about her that didn't feel right to the young Shinigami.  
  
"You look too young to be a police officer. In fact, if had to guess your age, I'd say you were barely even sixteen."  
  
"You'd be wrong," Hisoka walked a little faster, passing Tsuzuki, and took over leading them through the crowd.  
  
The white-haired woman looked quizzically at Tsuzuki, "What's wrong with him?"  
  
Tsuzuki shrugged, "He's a little sensitive about his appearance. He gets made fun of a lot by our co-workers about how he looks so young."  
  
"So how old is he really?"  
  
"Twenty-three."  
  
"Hmm, wonder why he looks so young."  
  
Tsuzuki didn't answer the woman as he stared sadly at Hisoka's back.  
  
Hisoka weaved through the crowd, trying to pin point what it was about the woman that didn't sit right with him. A wave of sadness coming from Tsuzuki hit him and Hisoka wondered what the two of them were talking about that had Tsuzuki feeling so down. Suddenly he knew what it was about the woman that had him so on edge. He couldn't feel her emotions. Sure there had been times before where he had met people who could shield themselves, but Hisoka had always been able to pick up at least a faint trace of what that person was feeling. With the detective it was as if she didn't have any emotions at all, and it unnerved the young empath.  
  
Hisoka turned into the hotel and walked towards the elevators. He punched the button just as Tsuzuki and the detective caught up to him and the three waited in silence for the elevator. When the doors slid open Hisoka walked in and immediately leaned against one corner folded his arms over his chest and stared at the floor. Tsuzuki and the detective exchanged small talk as the elevator made its slow way up to their room on the twenty-sixth floor.  
  
"Kurosaki-san?" Hisoka glanced up at Detective Hatoyama, and raised an eyebrow, "Why did you become a police officer?"  
  
Hisoka lifted a shoulder in a slight shrug then bent his head back down and closed his eyes, stopping any further questions the detective might have had.  
  
Hatoyama turned to Tsuzuki, "Your partner's not very sociable, is he?"  
  
Hisoka's head shot up as he got a brief, but intense, flash of lust radiating from the detective, so quick in fact, that Hisoka wasn't even sure he had felt it at all. He stared at the woman across the elevator from him. Hatoyama was staring intently at Tsuzuki, her green eyes revealing nothing but slight annoyance. Hisoka gave a mental shrug and shut his eyes again; maybe he had just imagined the whole thing.  
  
"It's not his fault. He had a pretty rough life," Tsuzuki said in response to Hatoyama's earlier comment.  
  
"You don't have to tell her everything, baka!" Hisoka stalked out of the elevator as the doors slid open on their floor. He stormed down the hallway, when he reached their door he turned around and glared at Hatoyama, "I need to speak to my partner, *alone!*"  
  
He grabbed Tsuzuki and yanked him into the hotel room, slamming the door in the detective's face behind him.  
  
"'Soka?! What's wrong?" Tsuzuki looked worriedly at his partner. Hisoka seemed more agitated and annoyed than usual.  
  
The wheat-haired teen paced the floor, "Where the *hell* are we going to get a pair of police badges?!"  
  
Tsuzuki shrugged, "I thought you knew since you came up with the idea."  
  
"Well, what was I supposed to do?! You weren't coming up with anything!"  
  
"Maybe Tatsumi or Chief Konoe have a pair of badges," Tsuzuki offered helpfully.  
  
Hisoka glared at the violet-eyed man, "I'm sure they will just *happen* to have a couple of police badges lying around."  
  
"It's worth a shot."  
  
"Fine, I'll go see. What are we going to do with Detective Hotyama? How are you going to explain my disappearance?"  
  
Tsuzuki smiled, "Easy. You had to use the restroom."  
  
Hisoka shrugged and disappeared. Tsuzuki went to the bathroom and shut the door, then let the detective into the hotel room.  
  
"Where is your partner?" she said as she walked into the room.  
  
"He's in the bathroom," Tsuzuki said then motioned at one of the desk chairs, "Would you like to sit down?"  
  
Detective Hatoyama looked around the room and her eyes landed on the king size bed, "Do you two have separate rooms?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then, why is there only one bed?"  
  
"We're on a *very* tight budget," Tsuzuki looked down at the desk, his eyes gone round and puppyish, "There isn't even enough for me to get dessert after every meal."  
  
Detective Hatoyama raised her eyebrows at that, "Hai, well, your badges?"  
  
"Uh, hai!" Tsuzuki stood up and went over to the suitcase lying on top of the bed. He flipped open the lid and started to rifle through the contents. *Hurry up Hisoka!*  
  
Hisoka ran through the halls to the chief's office. He burst through the door, "We . . . need . . . police badges!"  
  
Chief Konoe looked up in surprise, "Why would I have police badges? And what do you need them for anyway?" But the wheat-haired teen was already gone. He ran down the hallway and flung open the door to Tatsumi's office.  
  
"Tatsumi! Do you have police badges?!" Hisoka yelled.  
  
Tatsumi's eyebrows shot up and he adjusted his glasses, "Why?"  
  
"Ran into a detective. Couldn't think of anything else to tell her. She wants to see our badges. In a hurry!"  
  
Tatsumi opened the top drawer of his desk and reluctantly pulled out two official looking police badges. *Shit. Watari was looking forward to using these tonight. Oh, well, we can always play later.* He placed the badges on the desk, "I want these back as soon as possible."  
  
Hisoka grabbed the badges and teleported out of there. He didn't even take the time to wonder why exactly Tatsumi had a pair of police badges in his desk drawer.  
  
*Hisoka where are you?!* Tsuzuki glanced at Hatoyama looming over him like Tatsumi. As if his thoughts were audible, the bathroom door opened and Hisoka stepped out.  
  
"You won't find them in there," the teen said, holding up the badges.  
  
"Why were they in the bathroom?" Detective Hatoyama grabbed them from Hisoka and started examining them.  
  
"We put them in there so we wouldn't forget them before we left," Tsuzuki said.  
  
"That worked out, didn't it?" she said handing the badges back to Hisoka. "Well, you two seem to check out okay. I still want to know why I wasn't informed I would be receiving any help on this case."  
  
"We can't tell you that. We just go where we're told," Hisoka said slumped into a chair.  
  
Tsuzuki started leading the woman towards the door, "Well, now that you've seen our badges, it was nice meeting you, but we have a lot of work to do. Bye."  
  
Hisoka glared at the woman. There it was again, that brief wave of intense lust. Now he knew he wasn't imagining things, and the feeling was definitely coming from Detective Hatoyama Kimiko. What was worse, was the feeling was aimed toward Tsuzuki.  
  
Tsuzuki closed the door and turned towards his partner, "What's wrong?"  
  
Hisoka glanced up, surprised, at Tsuzuki, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Come on, Hisoka. There's no way I could be your partner for three years, your lover for over a year, without being able to sense when something is troubling you!"  
  
"I thought I was supposed to be the empath," the young Shinigami sighed, "I don't like her."  
  
"That was obvious," Tsuzuki sat in the chair next to Hisoka.  
  
Hisoka looked into amethyst eyes, "I couldn't feel her."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I'm not sure. With most people, I can sense all of their emotions, even those who have the ability to shield themselves I can get at least a trace of what they are feeling. With her . . . I don't know, it's almost like she isn't even there. There's nothing, no emotions at all, except, very briefly, twice, I felt lust emanating from her. And it was directed towards you."  
  
Tsuzuki gathered Hisoka into his arms and rested his chin on top of the teen's head, "'Soka, koibito, are you jealous?"  
  
"Baka, of course not. I just don't like the way she is," Hisoka wrapped his arms around Tsuzuki's waist, leaning his head against the older man's chest.  
  
"Well, it's not like we'll have to really deal with her a lot anyway. So, you can just forget about her."  
  
Hisoka shook his head, he didn't think they had seen the last of the detective, "This is her case Tsuzuki. How are we supposed to avoid her? She can see us when we're in spirit mode, so it's not like we can hide from her as we can with other mortals."  
  
"We'll just have to make sure to solve this case quickly then, won't we?" Tsuzuki made to stand up, but Hisoka wouldn't move.  
  
"I don't want to go out again. Please, can we just stay here? All that fear . . . I-I don't want to feel that again, not so soon."  
  
Tsuzuki wrapped his arms tighter around Hisoka, "Of course we can stay here. We'll start again tomorrow morning."  
  
The two of them sat like that, enfolded in each other's arms. Tsuzuki felt his legs going numb, he stirred, "'Soka? Um, I can't feel my legs. Could we, um, could we move to the bed?"  
  
Hisoka lifted his head, nearly clipping Tsuzuki's nose, and stared into the older Shinigami's eyes. Tsuzuki saw the suspicion and smiled, he gave into temptation and lightly kissed Hisoka's sweet lips, "Koibito, we won't do anything if you don't want to. I am happy just holding you."  
  
Hisoka nodded, a blush suffusing his cheeks. He slid off of Tsuzuki's lap and walked over to the bed. Tsuzuki threw the suitcase onto the floor and the two climbed beneath the covers. Hisoka lay on his side, placed his head on the crook of Tsuzuki's neck, and flung one arm around his lover. Tsuzuki enfolded the teen in his arms and lay his head on top of Hisoka's. In a matter of moments the two were sound asleep.  
  
Blood red wings beat the night air. Fangs flashed as an evil grin spread across effeminate features. Glacier blue eyes shone with lust and greed. *I have found my next target.* 


	2. The Investigation Begins

MorningStar: Hey FF.NET peeps! Special commentary just for you! I apologize profusely for taking so long to get such a short chapter posted! *Bows deeply to all her fans* Thank for being so patient with me! And thanks to all who have reviewed. Holli and BuddhaFrog's commentary will come later if you want to read it. Just a warning, this is all storyline and plot, not much happens. Gomen. Now, on to the story!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Don' own, don' sue. Just borrowing:D ****************************************************************  
  
Chapter 2  
The Investigation Begins  
  
Light lanced through the window and into the hotel room on the twenty-sixth floor. Golden fingers stretched across the carpet onto the queen sized bed and wrapped around the two sleeping figures curled peacefully together. Violet eyes fluttered open and flickered questioningly over the room. Recognition slowly dawned in those amethyst depths and a small groan escaped from parted lips.  
  
Tsuzuki buried his head between the pillow and Hisoka's hair, denying the morning light that had disturbed his sleep. He tightened his arm around his young lover and inhaled the sweet, yet masculine, scent of Hisoka's hair. The teen groaned and stretched his limbs.  
  
"Tsuzuki, what time is it?" Hisoka mumbled as he snuggled deeper into the warm body behind him.  
  
Tsuzuki groaned as he looked at the clock by the bedside, "Almost seven."  
  
Hisoka tried to sit up, but was restricted by the arm wrapped tightly around his waist. "Tsuzuki, you baka, let me go. We have to start working. The sooner we get this case done the better."  
  
"Ah, come on, 'Soka. We can stay in bed a *little* longer, ne?" Tsuzuki nuzzled the teen's neck.  
  
"Tsuzuki, if we get up now we can go down for breakfast. Remember, it's all you can eat," Hisoka craned his neck, effectively stopping the nuzzling while trying to look at his partner. Violet eyes stared, unfocused, at the wall directly in front of them. Tsuzuki looked as if he were trying to make one of the most important decisions of his life. *All-you-can-eat breakfast . . . Staying in bed with Hisoka . . . All-you-can-eat breakfast . . . Staying in bed with Hisoka . . . Ahhh, it's such a hard decision!!! Why can't I have both?!*  
  
Hisoka took the decision away from his lover as he was finally able to slip out of bed, Tsuzuki having loosened his hold while trying to decide what he wanted to do. The teen turned around and glared at the dark-haired Shinigami, "Now, get out of bed and get ready. We still have a case to solve."  
  
Tsuzuki crossed his arms and pouted, "Not fair! You said I could choose!"  
  
"No I didn't, I just said that if you got up now we could down for breakfast!" Hisoka was already in the process of getting dressed. He pulled his pajama top over his head and turned to grab a clean shirt out of his suit case. Tsuzuki sat in bed, watching as his partner got dressed. The golden morning light caressed the smooth, pale skin, giving the teen an almost angelic glow.  
  
Tsuzuki's breath was taken away. No matter how many times he had seen his lover's body, it never failed to reveal something new. Whether it was a scar he hadn't seen before, the way a certain muscle moved under certain conditions, or even just the way the light caused the shadows to move over the teen's curves, there were always new things to learn about his lover's body. It was worth allowing Hisoka to get out of bed if this was the kind of view he was given.  
  
Tsuzuki was startled from his reverie as something was thrown into his face. He pulled a pair of black slacks off his head and pouted at his partner, puppy-ears lying flat and fluffy tail drooping, "What'd I do?"  
  
"Would you stop staring at me and get dressed? If you don't hurry you won't have a chance to eat breakfast, and then I will have to listen to you complain about your stomach all day," Hisoka glared at Tsuzuki, his hands on his hips. Even though the words sounded harsh, there was an undertone of affection beneath the harshness. Hisoka knew Tsuzuki loved him, as much as he loved the older man, so he didn't mind his lover's stares, so long as they were alone, but they had a job to do, and he didn't want to take any longer than was absolutely necessary.  
  
He didn't like Detective Hatoyama, and not just because of those brief flashes of lust he felt aimed towards Tsuzuki. There was just something about the woman that didn't sit right with the young empath.  
  
Tsuzuki grinned and jumped out of the bed and quickly pulled his pants on. He flew through the rest of his preparations to get ready then stood excitedly by the door, waiting for Hisoka. The teen shook his head as he continued with his own preparations, brushing his teeth and running a comb through his unruly hair. When he was done he grabbed the fake badges and the case information that Tatsumi had given him and the two Shinigami made their way downstairs.  
  
Violet eyes grew wide and starry, as a big puppy tail wagged excitedly, and ears pricked up. The buffet where the breakfast was spread out was overflowing with all sorts of food, many of which contained far more sugar than any one breakfast pastry should. Tsuzuki yipped in delight and attacked the buffet, grabbing a plate and piling it with as many donuts, pancakes with plenty of chocolate syrup, and whipped cream as possible. Hisoka watched his partner nearly empty the buffet before he made himself a small bowl of cereal and joined Tsuzuki at the table.  
  
The two ate in relative silence, the only sounds were the small noises of appreciation Tsuzuki made as he devoured his breakfast. Hisoka watched his partner tear through two more plates before he sat back and sighed, contented. He smiled briefly at Hisoka before suddenly turning serious, "'Soka, do you think you are okay to continue with the investigation today?"  
  
Hisoka glared at his partner, but it didn't hold much heat, Tsuzuki was only looking out for him, "I'm fine. I just wasn't prepared yesterday. I wasn't expecting the fear to be that strong. Today I will be more careful."  
  
Tsuzuki looked carefully at the teen, but decided not to argue, so he nodded instead, "Alright then, where do we start today? Do you want to go back to the alley? Or should we try somewhere else first? Or do you want to start interviewing the victims?"  
  
Hisoka picked up the case papers and stared at them, "Let's try a few more of the murder sites, starting with the alleyway, and then move on to the victims."  
  
Tsuzuki stood up and shrugged into his trench coat, "Alright, then. The sooner we get going the sooner we can be done with this case, and the sooner those souls can finally be at peace."  
  
Hisoka nodded and stood, following his partner out of the hotel. Hisoka hesitated briefly, almost unnoticeably, at the entrance to the alleyway before striding in purposefully. Tsuzuki noticed the hesitation and hoped that his partner would be prepared this time. He hadn't liked seeing the look of utter terror on Hisoka's face yesterday, and he didn't ever want to see it again.  
  
*I will do everything in my power to prevent that look from 'ever' appearing on Hisoka's face again!* The silent promise was made with every ounce of love that Tsuzuki held in his body for his small lover.  
  
Hisoka threw up barrier after barrier, but still the intense fear that seemed to saturate this place slammed against his shields. He turned to Tsuzuki, his face tense with the effort of keeping so many shields in place against the onslaught, "Whatever it was that followed the victim here, it scared the shit out of him. I can't get a clear feeling of what it was. Even though the fear is still intense in this place, most of the residual memories and emotions have faded."  
  
"Then we shouldn't waste any more time here. Let's go somewhere else," Tsuzuki replied as he floated into the air and out of the alley, "Do you think the next site will hold anything?"  
  
"There's only one way to find out," Hisoka followed his partner, "The murders took place only a few days apart. I don't know if the next site will be of anymore help than this one was, but we have to check them all, just to be sure."  
  
"Fine, but if you start to feel tired or you can't handle it, we're stopping for the day. Understand?"  
  
"I don't need you to look out for me. I can take care of myself," having to deal with all of the emotions in the alley had really put Hisoka on edge, making his voice rougher than he had intended.  
  
Tsuzuki smiled over his shoulder at his young partner, unfazed by Hisoka's rough manner, "But I like to look out for you!"  
  
Hisoka ignored his partner until they were only a few feet away from their destination, "There, behind that church."  
  
The two Shinigami landed lightly on the spongy grass behind the small church. Tsuzuki looked around them, the place seemed so peaceful, so quiet, it was hard to imagine that a murder had taken place here. But the tension that was clearly shown around Hisoka's eyes and mouth proved that the teen was having a hard time keeping his shields up.  
  
"Anything?" Tsuzuki asked as he walked around, trying to find any *physical* clue as to what had happened here.  
  
Hisoka stood still, focusing on keeping his shields in place, while at the same time trying to sense what had caused the intense fear in this victim, "I can't sense anything different here, just intense fear. It's been too long since the murder for me to pick up any images that might have been left."  
  
Tsuzuki stood up from the base of the tree he had been examining, and dusted off his pants, "Then, let's continue on to the next site. I can't find anything physical either."  
  
The three sites the two went visited, gave them the same results. Tsuzuki walked around looking for any clue as to *who* or *what* could have caused the victims' deaths, and Hisoka used his empathic abilities to try and gain an image of the attacker. Neither of them came up with anything new.  
  
After working for five hours straight without coming up with anything new, Tsuzuki begged Hisoka to go back to the hotel for a quick lunch. When they arrived, Tsuzuki once again attacked the buffet table with as much vigor as someone who had been starved for most of their life, while Hisoka helped himself to a small sandwich and a bowl of vegetable beef stew. Tsuzuki sat down at the table, a huge grin splitting his face, and his proverbial puppy- tail wagging incessantly.  
  
He glanced from his plate, overloaded with food, to Hisoka's meager lunch, "What's wrong, 'Soka? Aren't you hungry?"  
  
The teen glanced up at his lover, shrugged, and grunted a response that could have been, "Not really."  
  
Tsuzuki decided that Hisoka had been through enough today, the teen didn't need for him to badger him about his lunch. The two ate in silence, both of their minds filled with their own thoughts. Hisoka couldn't stop thinking about all the murder scenes they had been to today neither could he stop trying to figure out what could possibly cause such fear in any human.  
  
Tsuzuki's thoughts were mainly filled with the food he was eating and what the next step in their investigation would be. He didn't want to take Hisoka to anymore of the crime scenes today; this morning had put enough of a strain on his young lover. Tsuzuki also knew that the next five sites they had to visit would be even harder on the poor empath. The murders had been committed more recently, and would therefore contain more of the raw emotions. Tsuzuki did not want to expose his lover to that kind of strain so soon. The only problem was convincing Hisoka of this without hurting the young man's pride, after all, if Hisoka thought Tsuzuki was babying him, he would only push himself that much harder.  
  
Tsuzuki looked up from his empty plate to his partner, who was staring absentmindedly at his own empty bowl, "'Soka?"  
  
Hisoka, startled from his thoughts, glanced up at the violet-eyed man, "Yeah?"  
  
"'Soka, I think that we should start interviewing the victims after lunch. We haven't been able to find anything from the sites so far. Why don't we try talking to a few of the victims, doctors, and family members? I mean, maybe you can get an idea from them what attacked them."  
  
Hisoka stared hard at his partner. Tsuzuki was worried about him, the teen could tell that much even without his empathic powers. He wouldn't let the older man see, but he was extremely tired and drained from the strain of keeping his shields up for so long. It was almost too much for him to even keep the basic shield he had up now, to prevent everyone's emotions from around them projecting straight into him.  
  
Hisoka realized he hadn't answered Tsuzuki, but had been staring at his partner for almost two minutes now without blinking, a slight blush suffused his cheeks and he ducked his head in embarrassment, "Whatever."  
  
Tsuzuki opened his mouth to further argue about why they shouldn't continue with the murder sites before realizing that Hisoka had basically agreed with him. He stared for a second at the young Shinigami before closing his mouth and then saying, "Um, okay then. Who should we interview first?"  
  
Hisoka picked up the case papers and glanced over them, "The first victim's name is Kakinomoto Hisato. It would probably be best to start with him. Let's go."  
  
The two stood up from their chairs and walked out of the hotel once more. Hisoka led the way through the crowded streets. True they could have flown to their destination, but flying took energy, and that was one thing the teen did not have an abundance of right now. Tsuzuki knew Hisoka was most likely exhausted from this morning, but he also knew that if he said anything, Hisoka would just snap at him and insist on continuing, so he just kept his mouth shut and walked quietly behind his lover. 


	3. Too Many Emotions

MorningStar: Again, FF.net peeps get this first! Yay for you!!! Okay, again a lot of story in this one! Fun times! Poor Hisoka! Hey and look, my partners in crime are reviewing this one as well! Thanks to all those who reviewed. I love you people!! Please Read and Review this chapter as well, or maybe you be like me and wait until a fic be finished before you review. Anywho, here you go, enjoy! DAMN MURAKI!!!!  
  
BuddhaFrog: I have to write a paper about the Missouri constitution. Laugh and cry! So, I love Hisoka. I feel so bad for Hisoka. Shut up Holli! I love Holli, but I'm glad I'm going to be away from her for a week! I'm writing a fanfiction! Be scared be very scared *weird sorta evil maniacal laughter*. So anyhow, this chapter just flows along some more, but you're getting somewhere. Ummmm, more will happen later. Anyhow, that's about all I got, Family Guy is craziness. My room is a mess, and *bunch of weird noises*. LOVE AND PEACE!!!!!  
  
Holli: I forgot what happened! If hadn't taken BF so DAMN long to read it, maybe I would still remember what the DAMN thing said!! So, we're making the best T-shirts EVER! Shounen-ai hinted Yami No Matsuei/Love Mode. Even my sister wants one. Tsugaru, is a GREAT DDR song, I downloaded it, b ut damn if the title doesn't sound like Cigar! So I'm wondering if angelfire allows soft core porn, b/c there's this pic I want to put up but I don't know if I can. Totally Spies sucks major ass. Teen Titans are cool. And I hate the fact that cats like to lay on your crotches b/c it's the warmest spot on your body! Oh, well! I'm slightly crazy. Anyway, this is a short brief chapter, kinda feels like the chapters I'm writing. But it's important like any other chapter! That's about it! Bye!  
  
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Chapter 3  
Too Many Emotions  
  
It had taken the two Shinigami almost three hours to find the place where Kakinomoto Hisato lived. Hisoka had taken his time navigating so he could recover at least part of his strength. They stood before the small suburban house; it looked no bigger than a three room apartment from outside. Tsuzuki knocked lightly on the door of tiny house. A few moments went by before he tried again, this time louder. The door was opened by a tall, middle aged woman wearing sweats and a long T-shirt. The woman's shoulder length black hair was streaked liberally with grey and stuck out at odd angles from beneath a headband. She looked as if she hadn't slept in a month.  
  
The woman blinked owlishly at Tsuzuki before speaking, "May I help you?"  
  
Tsuzuki took out his fake badge and flashed it at the woman, he was starting to get a weird sort of enjoyment from pretending to be a cop, "Good afternoon, miss, I am Detective Tsuzuki Asato and this is my partner Officer Kurosaki Hisoka. We are here to speak to Kakinomoto Hisato. Is this where he lives?"  
  
The woman's eyes narrowed in anger and suspicion, "I thought we were through with the police. What do you want now?"  
  
Hisoka stepped forward and bowed to the woman, his shields were so frazzled that he could feel her anger and exhaustion pulsing in time with his own, as a result his words sounded short and clipped, "Pardon us, ma'am, but we were brought in from Tokyo. We have only just arrived and we are trying to solve this case as quickly as possible. I know you must be tired from dealing with all the reporters and police officers, but we beg your patience once more. Please, allow us to speak with Kakinomoto-san for just a brief moment."  
  
The woman sighed, "He isn't here right now. He's at work. He should be back in about twenty minutes though, if you would like to come in." She stepped back and opened the door wider, motioning the two Shinigami inside, "Sit down wherever you like. My name is Kakinomoto Yoriko. I was . . . am Hisato's wife."  
  
Tsuzuki and Hisoka sat on the small couch. Tsuzuki turned to the woman, "Please, may we ask you a few questions as well?"  
  
Yoriko nodded and sat down on the edge of the large easy chair next to the couch, she looked like she would bolt at the slightest provocation, "You may as well. Everyone else has. From reporters to doctors to police officers. What's one more interview?"  
  
Tsuzuki placed a restraining hand on his partner's, silently telling the younger man that he would handle this. Hisoka nodded slightly before leaning back and shuttering his eyes, allowing Tsuzuki to take over with the interview so that he could rest a little, "Kakinomoto-san, I know that you have probably told this more times than you truly wish to. But will you tell us what happened with your husband?"  
  
Yoriko smiled wanly at the man sitting across from her, she couldn't help it; the man seemed to know exactly what to say to her, as if he knew what she was feeling. She turned to the younger looking of the two, "I will. But first, may I ask you a question?"  
  
Hisoka nodded his head and Yoriko leaned forward, "How old are you? I know it seems a rude question, but you don't look any older than my own son, and he's only seventeen."  
  
Hisoka ground his teeth together. Gods! How he hated that question! Hisoka mentally shook his head, he was so tired, he really didn't feel like dealing with this right now, but he had too, otherwise this case would *never* get solved. He knew the woman had no idea the kind of effect that particular question had on him, and if they were going to get anywhere with her he *had* to be polite. So he summoned a warm and gentle smile for her, "I don't mind, I get it all the time. I am twenty-three-years-old. Now, will you tell us what happened with your husband?"  
  
The woman sighed heavily and glanced down at her feet, causing Tsuzuki's suspicions that her question had been nothing more than a delaying tactic to be confirmed. He leaned forward and took both of the woman's hands in his. Her head shot up and she stared into kind, intense amethyst eyes. She had never seen eyes like that before, they held so much kindness and caring, but at the same time they were filled with a pain so intense it hurt to look at. Tsuzuki smiled at the woman and spoke softly, "We know this is hard for you, but please, we only want to solve this case. Then, maybe you can find some answers to the questions you have."  
  
Yoriko nodded and took a deep breath before starting, "It was about three weeks ago. Hisato was late coming home from work and I was getting worried. You see, he has never been late before without calling me. I called his office to see if maybe there had been a meeting that he had forgotten about and that's why he wasn't home, but no one answered, they had all gone home for the day. Two hours went by and still Hisato had not arrived home. I called the police, they said they would start a search for him immediately."  
  
Tsuzuki patted the woman's hand when she paused in her story, tears forming in her brown eyes, "It is alright. Take your time. Would you like something to drink?"  
  
Hisoka was close to tears himself, Yoriko's pain was so intense, and his shields were so weak. He was gritting his teeth so hard his jaw was starting to hurt. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up without either breaking his teeth or breaking down in tears. The young empath wanted nothing more than to go back to the hotel, curl up with Tsuzuki, and pass out.  
  
Yoriko chuckled lightly, her heart not in the sound, "I am the host here, and *you* are the one offering *me* a drink. I'm sorry, I should have offered sooner." The dark-haired woman stood up, "Give me a second, I'll get us all something to drink. Is lemonade alright?"  
  
Tsuzuki nodded, "Hai. That will be fine for both of us, thank you." When Yoriko had disappeared into the kitchen, Tsuzuki turned to his partner, concern written all over his face, "'Soka, are you alright?"  
  
Hisoka opened emerald eyes and glared at his partner, he could hear the clinking of glasses and a refrigerator door being opened. Instead of answering his partner he just jerked his head in a curt nod, and leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes once more. Before Tsuzuki could question his partner further, Yoriko came back in, three drinks held carefully in her hands. Tsuzuki stood and took two of the glasses before returning to his seat, offering one of the glasses to Hisoka. The teen slit an eye open and glared at the drink before taking it from Tsuzuki and setting it on the table next to him.  
  
Yoriko sat back down, glass gripped tightly in her hands, and took a deep breath before continuing her story, "It was an hour or so after I had called the police when someone knocked on my door. I opened it and there stood three officers, hats in hand. They asked if I was Kakinomoto Yoriko. When I nodded they told me that they had found my husband. He was dead. They said they thought it might be murder, but they couldn't be sure since there weren't any external wounds. I don't remember much after that. I didn't want to believe them, I *couldn't* believe them. I had already lost one of my children, I couldn't lose my husband as well!  
  
Two days after he had been found dead, Hisato walked through the front door. I was in the kitchen, just sitting and staring at the floor. He walked into the kitchen, leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek, like he used to everyday when he got home from work. I passed out.  
  
When I woke up, Hisato was staring down at me, asking if I was okay. I started screaming and telling him he was dead. He was standing right in front of me and I was telling him he was dead!"  
  
Tsuzuki nodded, "That's understandable. You had a terrible shock to your system. Can you tell me something; When your husband returned to you, did he seem different at all?"  
  
Yoriko thought for a minute, "Actually, yes. There are a few things about Hisato that seem different. One, he couldn't seem to remember anything about being dead for two days, and he refused to even talk about the day that he died. Two, well, when he got back, even though he acted the same, he didn't seem like the same man I had married. It is as if he is only half awake. Walking around, acting normal, but not fully there."  
  
"I understand what you mean. Hisoka says I'm like that in the mornings sometimes. I don't wake up fully, and just walk around in a daze," Tsuzuki said with a slight chuckle and a shake of his head, remembering the many times Hisoka had smacked him for that.  
  
Yoriko looked over at the young man in question and whispered, concern evident in her voice, "Is he okay?"  
  
Tsuzuki glanced at Hisoka, the teen's jaw muscles were clenched so tight Tsuzuki was surprised he hadn't broken a few teeth. He continued to look at his partner as he answered, pitching his voice low so that Hisoka wouldn't hear, "He has had a long day. He's very tired, but he refuses to go back to the hotel until we finish for the day."  
  
Hisoka was biting his tongue and clenching his fists, trying to block the intense emotions the woman was inadvertently sending. Added on to that, Tsuzuki was trying to soothe him by sending him wave after wave of love and calm. Unfortunately that was only making things worse, and Hisoka couldn't say anything to his partner right then about it. Tsuzuki's emotions, added onto the woman's, mixed with his own, and stirred with exhaustion and very little left of his psy-shields was starting to take its toll on him. He could feel himself getting a horrendous headache and it wasn't putting him in any better a mood. He was so focused on trying to block out the emotions that he wasn't paying attention to what either of the two were saying.  
  
Yoriko placed a hand on Tsuzuki's, causing the older man to tear his gaze away from his lover and look at her, "You care for him greatly don't you?"  
  
Violet eyes widened in surprise and shock.  
  
The woman chuckled lightly, being around this young man made her feel better than she had since the day of the accident with her husband, "Young man, after being in love for twenty years, you think I can't recognize it in others? It's obvious to anyone who cares to look. I think it is sweet. Ah, look at me though, you didn't come here to have me embarrass you. Now, do you have any more questions?"  
  
Just as Tsuzuki was about to open his mouth to answer, the front door opened and in walked Kakinomoto Hisato, "Tadaima, Yoriko!"  
  
The man paused in the doorway and stared, before turning to his wife, "Who are these two?"  
  
Hisoka's eyes snapped open and he stared at the man in the doorway. The man felt the same as Detective Hatoyama! The teen could sense only one thing from Hisato, an intense flash of lust aimed toward his partner! Hisoka shot up from his seat, eyes blazing, "WHAT THE FUCK!!"  
  
Suddenly, everything became too much for the teen and his shields shattered, allowing every emotion in the room to come crashing into his brain at once. The teen swayed on his feet, feeling the darkness trying to consume him. He put up a brief struggle before blissfully allowing the darkness to swallow him.  
  
Tsuzuki stared up at his partner, mouth hanging open. He had *never* heard Hisoka use that kind of language before! He saw Hisoka sway on his feet. The three could only watch in horror as the young wheat-haired teen started to fall, seemingly in slow motion. In an instant Tsuzuki was standing beside Hisoka, catching the teen before he could hit the ground and swinging him into his arms.  
  
Yoriko, too, was on her feet, hand over mouth, "Is he okay? Should I call an ambulance?" She couldn't believe how *fast* the older man was! She hadn't even seen him move! It was as if he had just appeared next to his partner.  
  
Tsuzuki shook his head, "No, he just needs to get some rest. I'll take him back to our hotel."  
  
Throughout this whole thing, Hisato had just stood there, watching Tsuzuki intensely. Yoriko, not for the first time, wondered what was wrong with her husband. He had never seemed so emotionless before. She watched as Detective Tsuzuki gathered the young man tighter in his arms and turned to the door. He paused, waiting for Hisato to move out of his way. When her husband didn't move immediately, Yoriko walked over and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the way.  
  
When he reached the door Tsuzuki looked over his shoulder at the woman and her half-dead husband, "Thank you for your time, Kakinomoto-san. I might be back later to speak with your husband."  
  
Yoriko nodded, "You're welcome. I hope I helped . . . and, take care of you partner, he needs you."  
  
Tsuzuki nodded, smiling slightly and stepped out the door. When he was out of sight of the house, he teleported Hisoka and himself back to their hotel room. 


	4. Hatoyama Returns

BuddhaFrog: Finals only semi-suck, papers suck more. Apparently my academic writing sucks, maybe I should just stick to writing this kind of thing. Thank GOD there is finally a lemon, poor Hisoka. Damn, this is the most coherent thing I've written. Maybe it's because I'm tired. This is really choppy. Am I writing a telegraph. That's it STOP I love you STOP Bohemeian Rhapsody STOP National American Government chapter 11 sucks STOP Back to the story, YAY for aggressive Ukes!!! Yay for ex-boyfriends, and messed up RPGs, and self-preparation and ACTUAL preparation and lubrication. And poor Tsuzuki having to kiss that bitch. SO study study study, please review. Talk to the Trey. LOVE AND PEACE!!!  
  
MorningStar: Yeah, so it took awhile to write this because it is the last week of school and I have finals. So the next chapter won't be up until after Christmas break. Sorry Y'all. Anyway, there is a lemon in this chapter. I wasn't going to write one in here, but I kept getting this image of Hisoka all scared and wrapped up in blankets and clutching a pillow to his chest, finally I wrote that and then the lemon developed. It isn't pointless and I think that is really what anyone would do. Well, almost anyone. Hope y'all enjoy this, I sure did writing it. Have fun! Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! This is my present to all my wonderful fans out there!! That's about it. DAMN MURAKI!!!  
  
Holli: Heh. Yeah. :D Nice chapter and things are really coming around. I love her lemon. HEH HEH. MS, you always out do yourself! The master! HEH HEH. The lemon.anyone would do that, MorningStar? Almost anyone? *pervy smirk* Heh, heh, suurrrrreee. :D But, then again, this is the magical land of yaoi ruled by demented fans, sprinkled with magical glitter shaped like hearts, bright sparkles and lube right? LOL Anything can happen! YAY! So, my sister is now officially engaged. Woo! And.MS and I wrote a rpg. A Tsuzuki x Hisoka one of course, to be specific. It'll be up soon! Bye!  
  
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Chapter Four  
Hatoyama Returns  
  
Tsuzuki pulled the covers over Hisoka's still form, and lightly brushed stray locks of hair out of the boy's face. The bed dipped under Tsuzuki's weight as he sat next to his partner, gently caressing Hisoka's face, trying to soften the fierce and pained expression the teen's face had even in sleep. He bent his head and placed a soft kiss on pursed lips. Hisoka mumbled something and rolled on his side, his expression softening slightly.  
  
A smile flitted over Tsuzuki's lips. He silently made a decision he had been debating in his head for awhile. He placed another kiss on Hisoka's temple and whispered lightly, "Koibito, I'm going to go finish the interviews. I will be back as soon as possible."  
  
Tsuzuki stood up, the air shimmered and then he was gone. Hisoka rolled over onto his other side and hugged Tsuzuki's pillow, unconsciously seeking the warmth and scent of his lover.  
  
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Tsuzuki knocked on the door to Kakinomoto Hisato's house once more. It didn't take long before he was once more face to face with kind Yoriko. She smiled up at him and opened the door wider, "I did not expect you so soon. Please, come in. Tell me, how is your young partner?"  
  
Tsuzuki gave the woman an answering smile, "Sleeping."  
  
"What was wrong with him? Do you know?" Yoriko asked as she showed Tsuzuki once more to the living room.  
  
The Shinigami sat down, clasped his hands between his knees, and shook his head lightly, "He was just too exhausted. I must apologize for his outburst, though. I don't know what brought that on."  
  
Yoriko placed her hand on Tsuzuki's, "You don't have to apologize, I'm sure he just dozed off and Hisato startled him. Now, I'm sure you didn't come all the way back here just to talk to me. I believe you had some questions for my husband, ne?"  
  
Tsuzuki smiled at the woman and nodded. Yoriko stood up and walked out of the living room in search of her wayward spouse. The young man had returned a lot sooner than she had thought he would, but she didn't mind. She had smiled more since this young man came into her house than she had in a month. Yoriko poked her head into her husband's study. He was sitting in the middle of the room, staring at nothing. The smile fell from her face as she stared at Hisato, that seemed to be all he did anymore when he wasn't at work or eating, just sitting and staring.  
  
"Hisato?" Yoriko said as she walked completely into the room.  
  
Hisato looked up at his wife, eyes glazed and unfocused, seeing nothing. Those eyes always scared her, every time he looked at her with those seemingly dead eyes she wanted to run screaming to another room. Instead, she forced a small smile to curve her lips, "Hisato, there is a Detective here who wishes to speak with you."  
  
Hisato nodded and stood up, as he walked out of the room his eyes slowly started to focus and return to normal.  
  
Tsuzuki stood as Kakinomoto approached him and held out his hand, "Kakinomoto-san, I am Detective Tsuzuki Asato. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"  
  
Hisato shook the proffered hand before sitting down, motioning for Tsuzuki to do the same, "I do not mind."  
  
"Could you please tell me what you remember about the day you died?"  
  
Hisato shook his head, "Everybody tells me that I died, you think I would remember something like that, but I don't."  
  
"Could you tell me as much as you can remember about that day, then?"  
  
"I really don't like talking about it."  
  
"Please, Hisato, it would be extremely helpful to his investigation. You may not remember dying, but you did, and were dead for two days before you came back to me," Tsuzuki and Hisato looked up, neither of them had heard Yoriko walk into the room. She padded over to her husband and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
Hisato sighed, "Very well. All I remember about that day is getting up, going to work, and then getting off of work. I was walking home as I usually do when I suddenly felt as if something was following me. After that, nothing. The next thing I remember I was walking into this house and kissing my wife, I didn't even realize two days had gone by. That's all I can remember."  
  
Tsuzuki nodded his head and stood up, surprised that Hisato had given in so easily to his request after what his wife had said earlier and not wanting to push for anything else, "That's more than we had. Thank you for your time."  
  
Hisato stood up and shook Tsuzuki's hand once more. Tsuzuki noticed that Kakinomoto's eyes had darkened with something he couldn't quite name. "Are you sure that is all?"  
  
"Hai, thank you," Tsuzuki gently extracted his hand from Hisato, who didn't seem to be letting go anytime soon. He turned to Yoriko and bowed, "Thank you again for your kindness."  
  
Yoriko nodded, "You're welcome, take care of your young partner. I hope he feels better."  
  
Tsuzuki smiled and walked out of the small house. He pulled the papers that he had grabbed from the case folder out of his coat pocket and unfolded them, glancing over the information before quickly refolding them and putting them back in his pocket. Just as Tsuzuki was about to fly away, he heard a familiar voice, "Detective Tsuzuki, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."  
  
Tsuzuki glanced to his left and saw Detective Hatoyama walking in his direction, white hair streaming behind her, "Detective Hatoyama-san, nice to see you again."  
  
"Hmph, well, wish I could say the same. Where is your partner?"  
  
"He wasn't feeling well, so I decided to let him sleep while I interrogated a few of the victims and their families."  
  
"I could have saved you the trouble of walking all around Nagasaki and told you that none of the victims ever talk about what happened the day they were killed," Detective Hatoyama crossed her arms over her chest, "It would make my life a whole hell of a lot easier if they would. Then maybe I could solve this damn case, and put the bastard who is killing all these people in jail. I just wish I could figure out what it is that's bringing them back to life. I don't buy into all this 'miracle' bullshit!"  
  
Tsuzuki tilted his head to one side, surveying the young detective, "You were unable to get any of the victims to talk to you?"  
  
Hatoyama arched one elegant white brow and spoke slowly, "Hai. Why? Have they spoken to you?"  
  
Tsuzuki debated whether or not to tell Hatoyama about Kakinomoto, especially considering Hisoka's dislike of the detective. In the end he decided to tell her a half-truth, "I spoke to the first victim's wife, but she didn't seem to know much about the murder. Kakinomoto didn't say much."  
  
"Hmph, they never do," Hatoyama glared icily at the space near Tsuzuki's head before she turned to him, her eyes taking on much the same look that Kakinomoto's had, "Tsuzuki, since your partner is feeling a bit down, why don't I accompany you to the next victim's place? Maybe if both of us are there they will be more cooperative."  
  
Tsuzuki couldn't think of an excuse that the detective would buy, so he just nodded and the two of them headed in the direction of the second victims house.  
  
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"Ahhhhhh!!! Son of a BITCH!" Detective Hotoyama threw her paper cup containing the soda she had just bought against a convenient wall, "Five! Five people! And all of them refused to talk! Don't they understand I'm *trying* to solve a murder case here?!"  
  
Tsuzuki wiped some of the sticky soda from where it had splashed on his jacket and slacks, "Well, look on the bright side, Detective; the last two didn't slam the door on us like the other three!"  
  
Hatoyama turned to glare at Tsuzuki, "Oh, well, that just makes *everything* better!"  
  
"I can't really say I blame them. Think about it, would you want to remember dying if you could help it? Plus, all your friends and co-workers are probably looking at you like you were a ghost. It would be very difficult for anyone to try to cope with, Detective Hatoyama-san."  
  
Hatoyama growled, then she suddenly grabbed Tsuzuki by the front of his jacket and jerked him against her body, pressing her lips hard against his. Tsuzuki's eyes widened as he felt the wet heat of her tongue pressing against his closed lips, demanding entrance. He fought against her, desperately trying to pull away, but this woman was a lot stronger than she looked, and kept Tsuzuki pressed against her. Finally she drew away, then she leaned close to Tsuzuki's ear, flicked her tongue over the delicate lobe, and whispered, "You can call me Kimiko, and you're right, it would be difficult."  
  
Hatoyama pushed a stunned Tsuzuki away from her, turned sharply on her heel, and walked confidently away, leaving a very shocked Tsuzuki staring after her. When she was a few feet away she looked over her shoulder and said, "I'm calling it a day. I'll see you again soon, Asato-chan."  
  
Tsuzuki stood there, a confused and very shocked expression covering his face, until he could no longer see the detective that had so shaken his composure. When Hatoyama had disappeared from sight, Tsuzuki shook himself and his mind clicked on, working overtime. *What the . . .? Why . . .? What the HELL just happened?! Why did she just do that? Hisoka was right! Oh, gods, Hisoka! I better get back to the hotel! He has probably woken up by now!* All thoughts of Detective Hatoyama left Tsuzuki's head to be replaced by his worry for Hisoka. He glanced around him, making sure no one was looking his way before quickly teleporting himself back to the hotel room.  
  
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Hisoka stirred in the queen sized bed, eyelids slowly fluttered open and emerald eyes glanced around the hotel room. *Where . . .? What happened? Why am I back here?* The teen slowly sat up and glanced out the window, judging from the lighting, it was getting close to sunset. Where was Tsuzuki? Why was he back in the hotel? What had happened? He glanced around the room, trying to remember. Emerald eyes widened as Hisoka was again assaulted by the intense feelings of fear he had been subjected to for the past two days.  
  
The small frame started shaking uncontrollably, as unconscious tears streaked slowly down his face. He wrapped himself tighter in the blankets, trying to get rid of the sudden chill that had suffused his body. He curled up on his side and buried his face into Tsuzuki's pillow, inhaling the scent that was unique to his lover, a sweetness that just seemed to be an inherent part of what made Tsuzuki. He was trying to find comfort in the trace emotions that were left over from his partner having so recently vacated the bed.  
  
Hisoka wanted to get rid of the intense fear that seemed to have soaked into his very bones. But how? It seemed too intense for anything to overcome it. He gripped the pillow and blankets tighter around him and wished Tsuzuki was there. Maybe having Tsuzuki's whirlwind of energy around him would drive the fear away.  
  
Tsuzuki stood in the middle of the room and looked at the small figure that seemed to be swallowed by the huge bed. Hisoka was wrapped tightly in the blankets, not even a strand of that beautiful wheat-hair was showing. Tsuzuki started to walk towards the bed, removing his coat and tie and kicking off his shoes, planning on slipping between the covers quietly so as not to wake the teen.  
  
Hisoka let out a small sob. He hated himself for showing that weakness, even if he was alone. A wave of worry, love, and, buried underneath those two, a slight twinge of lust, rolled through his mind. He shot up, the covers and pillow still clutched tightly to his chest, and stared straight into amethyst eyes. Those same eyes widened with worry as Tsuzuki saw the tear tracks that traced over Hisoka's face. He started forward, but stopped himself. Hisoka hated it when he was overprotective of him, but the teen looked so fragile right then, with his chest bare and looking as if he were being swallowed whole by the blankets he was clutching in a death grip around him. Tsuzuki couldn't seem to help himself. Without realizing he had even moved, he was standing at the side of the bed staring into wide emerald eyes.  
  
Hisoka threw himself at Tsuzuki, flinging his arms around the older Shinigami, burying his face in his lover's neck, still kneeling on the edge of the bed. Tsuzuki enfolded the young teen in his arms and stroked his back, trying to soothe Hisoka. He was about to gather his young partner into his arms when he felt something warm and wet flick over his neck.  
  
Tsuzuki jerked his head back and stared into emerald eyes wide with an unknown fear, glittering with unshed tears, and darkened with passion, "'Soka? What's wrong?"  
  
Hisoka's only answer was to crush his mouth against Tsuzuki's and to press his body against his lover's. Tsuzuki felt Hisoka's tongue against his lips, demanding entrance. He parted his lips and Hisoka's tongue plunged in, tracing the contours of his teeth and the roof of his mouth. Tsuzuki tore his mouth away from Hisoka's and tried to push the teen away from him. Hisoka was having none of that, he attached himself to Tsuzuki's extremely sensitive neck, licking, sucking, and biting. Tsuzuki moaned and tilted his head to the side, giving Hisoka better access to his neck.  
  
The wheat-haired teen's hands fumbled at the buttons on his partner's shirt. Finally, furious at the uncooperative little circles, he yanked the sides of Tsuzuki's shirt, causing the offending buttons to shoot all over the hotel room, before completely divulging Tsuzuki of his shirt. Tsuzuki gasped at Hisoka's aggressiveness. What was going on? Why was Hisoka being so aggressive?  
  
All thought was wiped from his mind, though, as Hisoka nipped at his collarbone and then descended lower to draw one of his nipples into his mouth. The teen flicked his tongue over the dusky bud before gently biting it and then drawing it into his mouth once more. Tsuzuki moaned, letting his head fall back, and ran his hands through Hisoka's hair.  
  
Hisoka felt long fingers slide through his wheat colored hair to massage his skull. He let out a small moan and kissed his way over to Tsuzuki's other nipple, using his right hand to continue to play with the one he had just released. He didn't know exactly what had overcome him, he just knew he wanted to get rid of the fear, and right now Tsuzuki's building lust combined with his own was doing a good job of that. The coldness was slowly leaving him, being replaced by a fierce, heated passion for his lover.  
  
He kissed and nipped his way back up Tsuzuki's chest and sealed their mouths together. Tsuzuki's tongue flicked over his lips, asking for permission. Hisoka didn't want to be asked right now, he wanted to be taken, he wanted Tsuzuki to grab him and force the fear and cold out with his lust. He gripped the back of Tsuzuki's head and forced his tongue into the older Shinigami's mouth, trying to tell his lover without words what he wanted.  
  
The teen twisted his body and yanked Tsuzuki onto the bed and beneath him, their mouths still locked together. Tsuzuki's hands roamed over Hisoka's bare chest and abdomen. Hisoka's hands were doing their own traveling, one played with Tsuzuki's abused nipples, while the other went lower to cup the growing bulge in his lover's pants. Tsuzuki groaned and arched his hips into the caress, trying to increase the pressure and friction against his erection. Hisoka quickly undid the button and zipper to Tsuzuki's pants and reached his hand inside, grasping his lover in his hand.  
  
"Nnnn, 'SOKA!" Tsuzuki threw his head back and bucked his hips. Hisoka continued to stroke Tsuzuki as he bit and sucked at the older man's neck.  
  
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MorningStar: Okay folks, this is where it gets interesting. FF.Net says you guys don't get to read this stuff on here, so if you want to read it, go to our main Yami no Matsuei site. I think the lemon is important, but I can't leave it in here, and I refuse to cut out part of my story and leave in the other part. I will continue to post this story on FF.net, though. 


	5. One Step Closer

BuddhaFrog: Okay, uhhhhhhh, I hate it when you do this. So this chapter moves the story along. Yay for Watari and Tatsumi. It's really a sweet chapter, but not much, shut up Holli, but not much really happens happens, but it gets the job done I suppose. Ppl read the RPGs! So, I seem to be ommitted somehow. I am not loved. Furthermore, I made a new friend, his name is Dustin. Ahhhh, Holli hasn't made me mad, nothing's really out of place. My universe is in perfect alignment, this is weird! I must go create chaos!!! LOVE AND PEACE!!!  
  
MorningStar: Wow . . . this took me forever! But the plot is really starting to fly! Hahahaha, the next chapter will find our heroes in some interesting situations:D Makes me happy that I am finally able to get this thing off the launch pad:D Hooray! Soon, my little Hentai's there will be more lemony goodness:D Hahaha, I know that's why you read this, don't try to deny it:D Haha, okay, thas all for now. DAMN MURAKI!!!  
  
Holli: Y'know what, I thought Cardcaptor Sakura would be the stupidest anime ever. HA HA, while not being the best, it ranks up there. Cute and lovely hint fun for us crazy-ass shounen-ai fans! Yay! I'm a can of mackerel! ^_^ Anyhoo, the story is really coming along. MS had just about as much trouble as me when it came to finishing our lastest chapters of your multi- chapter fics. Too much school work and other interference! But it's here now and it's good! Enjoy!  
  
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Chapter Five  
One Step Closer  
  
The two Shinigami spent the next day doing exactly what they had said . . . nothing. Hisoka spent most of the day curled up with his book, reading, while Tsuzuki enjoyed one of his new favorite past-times, watching Hisoka. They spent most of the day in comfortable silence, allowing the young empath to regain his strength.  
  
Hisoka was glad for the day off, the only emotions he had to contend with were the ones flowing gently from Tsuzuki. The soothing tides of Tsuzuki's love ebbed and flowed through him, calming him and helping him to rebuild his Psy-shields. Hisoka would occasionally look up from his book and catch Tsuzuki staring at him, violet eyes filled with love and worry. When this happened Hisoka would blush deeply and duck his head back behind his book. Tsuzuki would just smile and shake his head, and the two would return to their previous companionable silence.  
  
The next day Hisoka woke up feeling much better, he turned and glanced at the clock by the bedside, the red numbers glared at him, telling him that it was almost five-thirty. He slipped out from beneath Tsuzuki's protective arm and padded into the bathroom, intent on taking a quick shower and getting an early start.  
  
"Tsuzuki, wake up! I want to get going!" Hisoka called from the bathroom. He hadn't bothered to shut the door knowing that it wouldn't do any good if Tsuzuki decided to wake up and join him.  
  
Tsuzuki turned towards Hisoka's voice, keeping his eyes closed, "Feeling better?"  
  
"A lot better. Thank you," Hisoka's voice was muffled and Tsuzuki decided to crack an eye open to see why, but as soon as his brain registered what he was seeing, both eyes snapped wide. He sat up in bed and ogled his partner openly. Hisoka was bent over near the mirror; a towel draped over his head as he dried his hair, the rest of his body was completely bare and covered in a fine sheen of moisture. Tsuzuki swallowed hard and tried to even out his breathing. Hisoka straightened and a blush suffused his face and chest when his eyes met Tsuzuki's openly lust filled ones. He quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and dug through their suitcase, pulling on a pair of boxers and jeans, much to Tsuzuki's disappointment.  
  
"Ahhh, come on, 'Soka. We can start later . . . like after lunch," Tsuzuki's eyes were wide with hope and lust as he continued to stare at the creamy chest that was still exposed.  
  
Hisoka shook his head, "I want to get started as early as possible. Come on, get out of bed and take a shower . . . a *cold* shower."  
  
Tsuzuki pouted briefly before bounding cheerfully out of the bed, glad that Hisoka was feeling better. He charged into the bathroom to take a quick shower before hurriedly getting dressed, although he made sure Hisoka got as much of an eyeful as he had earlier!  
  
The two ate a quick breakfast, Tsuzuki only going back to the bar once. After breakfast they made plans to visit only two of the five remaining murder scenes and to at least try to interrogate the rest of the victims.  
  
When they reached the first site Tsuzuki kept a close watch on Hisoka, making sure that his partner wasn't feeling overwhelmed or stressed. After a few minutes of having Tsuzuki hovering over him like an overprotective mother, Hisoka finally snapped. He whirled around glared at his partner, "Tsuzuki, I told you I was fine! Now stop hovering and make yourself useful! Go search for some *physical* clues!"  
  
Tsuzuki pouted briefly before becoming serious and searching around the site thoroughly, looking for any physical signs of what had happened.  
  
Hisoka was having an easier time now that he knew what to expect. Instead of trying to completely block out the intense fear that permeated the very air at the small park he absorbed some of the fear into himself and blocked out the worst of it. By absorbing that fear he prevented his shields from being overwhelmed and he also received a better picture of what had happened, unfortunately that picture wasn't much clearer than it had been at the first few sites. The only things that he could see were sharp fangs and wings.  
  
"Tsuzuki," Hisoka called out to his partner, who was currently floating in the branches of a nearby tree.  
  
Tsuzuki floated down and looked at Hisoka, covertly searching for any outward signs of stress, "Nani?"  
  
Hisoka noticed Tsuzuki's look though and he sighed, "Tsuzuki, I'm fine! I just wanted to tell you that I am getting a flash of what the killer looks like."  
  
Tsuzuki's eyes widened at this and he nodded for Hisoka to continue.  
  
"It's not much, but our killer has wings and fangs, that's the most I could get."  
  
Tsuzuki's face turned grim, "It's enough to tell us that we are definitely dealing with a demon. Now we just need to figure out what *kind* of demon it is so we can kill it."  
  
Hisoka nodded, "Did you find anything?"  
  
Tsuzuki shook his head and they decided to go to the next place to continue the search for more physical clues. Hisoka wouldn't get anything different from the next scene with his empathic abilities since the murders were so close together, so he decided to help Tsuzuki in his search for physical clues.  
  
Tsuzuki and Hisoka landed on a patch of grass outside the grounds of a small temple. The gates that marked the entrance to the grounds were faded and time worn. The once beautifully carved and painted gates had chunks missing and there was even a little graffiti on the walls. The two Shinigami shook their heads at such a show of disrespect. Not even holy ground was sacred anymore.  
  
They decided to split up; Hisoka would search the areas outside the buildings while Tsuzuki searched inside. Hisoka was still absorbing some of the fear that permeated the air, but instead of focusing on that he made sure to keep his mind on the area around him. He watched as Tsuzuki entered the amidado* of the temple while he walked around the outside, searching the ground, trees, and even the roofs of the buildings. He would make sure that not an inch of ground or tiny leaf bud was spared his gaze.  
  
Tsuzuki's footsteps echoed somewhat ominously as he entered the amidado. The amidado was the largest of all the buildings on the temple grounds, and it only had two rooms. There was a larger public room that held the statues and other objects of worship, and a smaller room for praying and meditation. Tsuzuki walked around every pillar, looked on top of every statue and even checked in the ash of the old incense for anything that would give them a hint as to what kind of demon they were dealing with. When he turned up nothing he walked out of the building and turned toward the kodo** that stood only a few feet away.  
  
The kodo was smaller than the amidado and consisted of only one very large room. There were places for people to sit and statues representing different gods and Buddha. It only took Tsuzuki a few moments to search through the kodo; again he wound up empty handed. He left the kodo and walked over to the shanju no to*** pagoda. He didn't hold much hope that the small, three-story building would turn up more than the other two had, but he meant to search everywhere.  
  
The first floor of the pagoda was relatively empty, with only two small statues standing on opposite sides of the room. After checking around the statues Tsuzuki climbed the stairs to the next level. On this floor there were four statues, each one facing the center of the room from a different wall. Tsuzuki didn't find anything on this floor either, so he made his way to the third and final level of the tiny, wooden pagoda. Although this room was the smallest of the three, only about as big as a tiny one room apartment, it held five statues, four smaller ones on each wall facing a larger one in the center. Tsuzuki walked up to the larger statue, it was in the form of a small Buddha and facing out the only window on the top floor. He faced the peaceful expression of the Buddha and bowed slightly; even though he wasn't a Buddhist he still wanted to pay his respects to whomever's remains were in that statue. He turned from the Buddha and searched the rest of the statues; again he turned up nothing but air and dust. He sighed and headed back down the stairs, planning on visiting the big copper bell sitting in its small platform before checking out the graveyard.  
  
Hisoka was getting more than a little angry at finding nothing. He had searched nearly every tree, rock, and roof on the temple grounds and had turned up nothing. He was getting frustrated, and the added bonus of feeling the murder victim's fear of this place wasn't helping any! He let out aggravated growl and flew to the top of the pagoda's roof. He passed the third floor window just as Tsuzuki was bowing to the statue in the center of the room. Hisoka shook his head, smiled and continued to the roof. He sighed heavily when he turned up nothing and turned toward the platform that held the big copper bell every temple held, planning on searching that roof next.  
  
Tsuzuki looked around the large, copper bell that took up most of the space on the platform, but turned up nothing. He was about to leave the bell and start searching the graveyard when a glimpse of something that looked like blood peaking from beneath the bell caught his eye. Tsuzuki bent down to get a better look and was surprised when he saw, not a pool of dried blood as he had expected, but a blood-red feather about the length of his forearm, and as wide as his palm, lying beneath the bell. Tsuzuki picked up the feather excitedly and called out for Hisoka, "'Soka, come here! I found something!"  
  
Hisoka floated down from the roof of the platform. He snorted when he saw what Tsuzuki was holding triumphantly in his hands, "It's just a feather. I don't see how that will help us."  
  
"*Look* at it, Hisoka! This feather is too large for any bird that lives around here. Plus, the color, I've not seen any blood colored birds around Nagasaki. This *has* to be a feather from the demon's wings!" Tsuzuki brandished the feather like a baton.  
  
Hisoka grabbed the feather, closed his eyes, and focused on trying to get some sense of emotion from it. *Greed. Lust for power. Anger. Frustration. Triumph. More anger. Not enough power. Need more.* Hisoka's eyes snapped open and he looked at Tsuzuki, "This *is* a feather from the demon. Whatever the demon is, it kills for power, and it's trying to gather more."  
  
Tsuzuki nodded, "I think we should take the feather, and everything we have found out, back to Meifu. Maybe Gushoushin or Watari will be able to figure out what kind of demon we're dealing with."  
  
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"Watari, I really, uhnnn, need to get, hmmm, some work done. Don't you have, uhhhh, an experiment or, ahhhh, a case you need to work on? Mmmmm," Tatsumi's stern reprimand was ruined as he moaned and tilted his head, allowing the scientist currently curled on his lap easier access to his neck.  
  
Watari flicked his tongue over Tatsumi's neck again before answering, never fully taking his lips from the delicious expanse of skin before him, "I'm completely free today. I can focus *all* of my attention on you!"  
  
Tatsumi groaned as Watari wiggled a little in his lap and continued to nibble and suck at his neck. He was just about to give in to the eager scientist's demands when a furious and excited knock sounded at his door. Watari groaned, flicked his tongue once more over the delicious tanned skin, and slipped off Tatsumi's lap, knowing the secretary too well to even try to get him to ignore whoever had interrupted them. Tatsumi smiled apologetically at Watari, who was now perched on top of his desk, before calling out, "Come in!"  
  
Tsuzuki bounced into the office and grinned at the two Shinigami, Hisoka walking quietly behind him, a slight blush suffusing his face, "Hi, Tatsumi! Watari, Gushoushin said you might be in here!"  
  
Watari smiled brilliantly at Tsuzuki, "What can I do for you, Tsuzuki? Aren't you supposed to be working on a case?"  
  
"That's why we're here. Watari, we need you and Gushoushin to do some research for us," Tsuzuki said.  
  
"If you aren't busy with anything else," Hisoka interjected quickly, he didn't want Watari to feel obligated to do anything for them, especially when the emotions emanating from the scientist were clearly focused entirely on something, or to be more precise some*one*, other than work.  
  
Watari turned knowing eyes to Hisoka, and smiled at the teen, "Actually, Bon, I was just telling Tatsumi that I have nothing to do today. I was just going to spend it bothering him, but helping you is more important. What is it you need?"  
  
Tsuzuki pulled the huge feather from one of his coat pockets and held it out to Watari, "We need you to figure out what sort of demon we're dealing with."  
  
Watari's amber eyes flashed behind his wire-framed glasses as he gently took the feather from Tsuzuki, "A challenge is it? Very well, let's go see Gushoushin; I'm sure you don't want to repeat the same information twice."  
  
Watari stood up from Tatsumi's desk, handed the feather back to Tsuzuki, and the three Shinigami filed out of the secretary's office. Tatsumi sighed in disappointment and tried to focus once more on his work. Just as he picked up his pencil and bent over the forms in front of him, Watari rushed back into his office and planted a firm kiss directly onto his lips before saying, "After work, I am definitely going to be bothering you for a *very* long time, koibito."  
  
Before Tatsumi could open his mouth to reply, Watari had disappeared from his office yet again.  
  
"What did you forget in Tatsumi's office, Watari?" Tsuzuki asked as Watari bounded up to them.  
  
"I just forgot to tell him something," Watari's smile was bright and full of mischief.  
  
The three Shinigami walked down the hall and into the record room where Gushoushin and his twin were busily sorting books and papers. When Gushoushin looked up from his work and saw the three enter, he put the papers he was currently looking over down and flew over to them.  
  
"Ah, Tsuzuki-san you found Watari-san, good. Now, you said you had some information you wanted us to look up?" Gushoushin's high-pitched voice greeted them.  
  
Tsuzuki nodded and handed the little chicken the feather that he had found, "Gushoushin, this feather is from the wings of the demon that we believe is bringing all those people back to life. We were wondering if you and Watari could work on finding out what demon it is we're facing so we could be prepared when we actually fight it."  
  
Gushoushin nodded and Watari's eyes sparkled with a scientist's love for puzzles. Gushoushin looked closely at the feather, then handed it to Watari, who examined it before turning to Tsuzuki and Hisoka, "The feather is a good start, but we're going to need something else to go on, if you want any information other than the demon has red wings."  
  
Hisoka looked at Watari and Gushoushin, "Whatever the demon is, it seems to gain power from killing. When I touched the feather anger was radiating from it because there wasn't enough power. I think the demon is trying to gather strength and it will probably try to kill again, soon. Also, I think the demon's main weapon seems to be its victims' own fear, all of the crime scenes have been saturated with it. How it uses the fear, I don't know."  
  
"Hmmmm," Watari tapped his chin with the feather, "A demon with red wings, kills for power, and weapon of choice is the victims' own fear. This is a great start! Come on, Gushoushin, we should be able to solve this puzzle in no time!"  
  
Watari grabbed Gushoushin by the wing and ran out of the record room, his eyes bright at the thought of a challenge. Tsuzuki chuckled, "Leave it to Watari. He and Gushoushin will find out what kind of demon we're dealing with. Come on, 'Soka, let's get back to Nagasaki. If we hurry the lunch buffet might still be open!"  
  
Hisoka rolled his eyes, "Very well, I don't want to have to listen to your whining later."  
  
Tsuzuki's eyes brightened and he clapped his hands excitedly before disappearing, presumably back to the hotel. Hisoka shook his head in bemusement, a slight indulgent smile dancing on his lips before he, too, teleported back to the hotel room.  
  
****************************************************************  
  
*Amidado is the main hall of a Buddhist temple. ** Kodo is the lecture hall where worship is held *** "Shanju no to" just means the pagoda only has three stories 


	6. Revealed

A/N: MorningStar: SON OF A BITCH!!! Okay after three months and the computer eating part of it, Chapter Six is FINALLY, once more, for the last time, FINISHED!!! Here you go ppl! I love it, it works. It took forever! Have fun, I'm giving no previews for the next chapter except that there WILL be a lemon! Oh, and by the way, the demon is a damned gentleman, how the hell does that work?? DAMN MURAKI!!!  
  
BuddhaFrog: My computer ate it. I cry because MorningStar is threatening Geeves. I cry because I can't talk to Jooky. I cry because the last time I did commentary for this chapter I got to type it my damn self. Damn computer eating the chapter. Where'd it go? Where'd it go? Off in computer LALA land! I cry b/c I won't be going to bed yet, damn ppl and their damn updating at weird times! But I have a pretty new hair color. But the chapter is a good chapter. It moves it grooves and there is no lemon. I CRY b/c there is no lemon! Why the hell do I have southern accent?! (I really should stop typing everything she says, no?) This was half as long when I was typing it. I had a point and it talked about the chapter more. But b/c my damn computer ate the damn thing . . . and damn is my favorite word as opposed to fuck, at least at this point in time. Anyhow ppl, it took her long enough to write this damn thing. Read it. LOVE AND PEACE!!!  
  
Holli: Geezes, someone pour holy water on BuddhaFrog's comp and exorcise the demon out. Little bastard.  
  
Uhhh . . . yeah. Really good chapter, the plot is coming along great! It's about time, but I understand! And this demon . . . thing . . . is a little bitch. LOL. Yep.  
  
That's it! Laterz! **************************************************************************** **  
Chapter Six:  
Revealed  
  
Tsuzuki played with the last bits of dessert that remained on his plate absentmindedly. His mind tore through the little bits of information they had managed to gather relentlessly. *What kind of demon brings their victims back to life? Isn't it just the initial kill that gives them power? What purpose are the puppets serving? I hope Watari can find some answers with that feather . . . it's the only clue we have right now . . . but at least Hisoka is feeling better, so he can continue with our investigation . . . I just hope the last sites don't overwhelm him . . . Uhhh, I wish we had more to go on than just a feather and the brief image of fangs that Hisoka got. It would help even more if the victims themselves would talk to us. I can't believe that not ONE of the people Detective Hatoyama and I tried the other day would talk to us . . . although she seemed to get over that really fast, I mean she did . . . Ohhhh, KUSO! I haven't told Hisoka about that yet!! I forgot all about it, though! I really should tell him, but I don't want to upset him . . .*  
  
Tsuzuki looked up from his now empty plate at his partner. Hisoka was staring at him intensely, as if he were trying to figure something out. Tsuzuki returned his gaze to his plate and started to fidget nervously with his napkin, trying to summon up the courage to tell Hisoka what had happened the day the teen had passed out.  
  
"Tsuzuki," Hisoka's voice was like that of a parent whose patience had just given way from dealing with an overly stubborn child. The waves of nervousness that had been crashing into him for the past few minutes had finally broken his resolve to wait for Tsuzuki to just say whatever it was that was bothering him.  
  
Tsuzuki flicked his eyes up briefly to look at Hisoka before returning to his abused napkin. He took a deep breath, let it out, then tried again, "U- uhh . . . 'Soka . . . ummm, do you remember the other day when you passed out?"  
  
Hisoka flushed crimson and stared down at his lap. *So . . . that is what is making Tsuzuki so nervous . . . he is ashamed of how I acted and he doesn't want me anymore . . . He is worried about how I will react, even though he is disgusted with me he still doesn't want to hurt me. But . . . I don't feel any disgust coming from him . . . just worry . . . he must have . . .*  
  
". . . and then she kissed me," Hisoka's head shot up as he caught the last part of what had apparently been a rather long speech as Tsuzuki was panting desperately for air.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
Tsuzuki tilted his head to one side and stared at his partner. It wasn't like Hisoka not to pay attention to him, well, okay, so the teen often didn't pay attention to what he said, but he would at least *listen* before deciding not to pay attention. What was wrong with him? Tsuzuki took another breath and repeated what he had said, but this time it was slower and with more breaths, "I said that after I brought you back to the hotel I went back and interrogated Kakinomoto-san again. I'll tell you what he told me later, that's not important right now. After I left Kakinomoto-san's house I ran into Detective Hatoyama. She said that she would join me in my interrogations and since I couldn't think of a good reason not to let her she came with me. None of the victims would talk to us though, so we bought some soda, and she said that I was probably right about the fact that no one would talk because who would want to remember dying," Tsuzuki paused and glanced down at the bits of paper that used to be his napkin. He took a deep breath and finished his story quickly, "Without even asking me or giving me any warning she pulled me against her and she was kissing me and I didn't know what to do I was so shocked I just stood there and then when I tried to push her off I found that she was really strong and I couldn't, and I really don't think that a woman that tiny should be that strong, but anyway she pushed me away and turned around and walked away from me saying she would see me later and that I should call her Kimiko."  
  
Hisoka stared at Tsuzuki for a few seconds, unable to speak for the intense relief he felt. Tsuzuki wasn't disgusted with him!  
  
Tsuuzki misread Hisoka's silence for anger and he immediately went on the defensive, trying to explain why he hadn't told Hisoka before that Hatoyama had kissed him, "I know I should have told you earlier, but I really forgot about it until just now . . . I mean . . . I had other, more important things on my mind . . . uh, especially after coming back to the hotel to see if you were alright . . . I mean, uh . . . seeing you, and then, well . . ."  
  
Hisoka knew he should stop Tsuzuki before the man either talked himself blue, or embarrassed both of them. When he spoke, his voice was as neutral as usual, revealing none of the rollercoaster feelings he had been experiencing, "Tsuzuki, why couldn't you push her away?"  
  
Tsuzuki paused in his adamant defense of himself, "Uh, well, I told you, she was really strong, almost as if she lifted weights everyday of her life. I didn't think anyone that small could be so strong!"  
  
"Hmmm . . ." Hisoka stared, unseeing, around the restaurant in their hotel, "I didn't get a chance to tell you this before, Tsuzuki, but Kakinomoto-san and Detective Hatoyama are identical in their emotions. All I could read from either of them was intense lust aimed at you."  
  
Tsuzuki leaned back in his chair thoughtfully, "What do you think that means? We know that Kakinomot-san was a victim of the demon . . . do you think Hatoyama could be one as well?"  
  
"I'm not sure. She hasn't shown any signs of being one of the victims, and I think that . . ."  
  
"Asato-chan!" the smooth and somewhat sultry voice of the very woman they had been talking about floated to them from across the restaurant. They both turned and watched as Detective Hatoyama weaved her way gracefully to their table. She gave Hisoka a cursory nod, barely even acknowledging him, before turning her full attention to Tsuzuki, "Asato, I was wondering if you would like to continue with the interrogations today?"  
  
Tsuzuki stared up at Hatoyama, but before he could answer, Hisoka's own, quiet voice spoke up, "Actually, Detective, my partner and I were just going over some of the evidence we've found. We were about to continue the interrogations ourselves, and I really don't think that having *three* police officers will help to relax the victims."  
  
The detective stared at Hisoka as if he were some annoying little insect that she would gladly squash beneath her black leather boots. Her voice was icy when she spoke to Hisoka, using the extreme politeness one reserves for people one hates, "Well then, since Detective Tsuzuki and I started the interrogations I think that the two of us can finish them."  
  
"Actually, Detective Hatoyama, Hisoka *is* my partner and he does need to be shown the proper way to interrogate a victim, especially the victims of such a strange and violent crime as this. I think it would be better if we finished the interrogations together," Tsuzuki spoke up, tactfully dismissing the woman.  
  
Hatoyama glared openly at Hisoka, before turning lust filled, yet still professional, eyes on Tsuzuki, "You're right. The rookie needs to learn, and the best way is through experience. I'll see you later though."  
  
Before either Shinigami knew what was happening, Detective Hatoyama had bent down and pressed her lips firmly against Tsuzuki's. Hisoka was blushing furiously from both embarrassment and anger when he felt an altogether new emotion radiate from Hatoyama. Before all he felt from her was lust, now he was getting a sharp sense of triumph and anticipation. Tsuzuki managed to push the aggressive woman off of him and she smiled before twirling around and sauntering away, Hisoka glaring after her.  
  
"Hisoka, I didn't know she was going to do that! I swear," Tsuzuki was on the verge of babbling again.  
  
"I know, Tsuzuki. I saw," Hisoka's voice was calm, as if he could care less about whether or not the detective had just kissed his lover. His face was pensive, staring off in the direction that Hatoyama had gone.  
  
"'Soka? What's wrong?"  
  
Hisoka looked back at Tsuzuki and shrugged, "It's probably nothing. Come on, let's get these interrogations over with. If we're lucky, maybe I can get a few answers about your admiring detective."  
  
Tsuzuki's eyes widened at Hisoka's teasing statement, he had never heard his introverted partner tease him like that before. But before he could come up with any kind of response, Hisoka had stood up and walked away, leaving Tsuzuki staring dumbly after him.  
  
* * *  
  
Hisoka sighed and leaned against the cool brick wall, "Only one more person to interrogate, or, to be precise, only one more door to have slammed in our faces."  
  
Tsuzuki had a brief moment of déjà vu, this scene was very similar to the one with Hatoyama earlier. Tsuzuki wondered with a grin whether or not this would end the same way as well, probably not, but it was fun to imagine that it would.  
  
Hisoka looked up and saw Tsuzuki staring at him with a far away expression and a dreamy grin. He rolled his eyes, he could just *imagine* what Tsuzuki was thinking about. He pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to his partner, "Hey, baka! Quit daydreaming and let's go."  
  
While they walked Hisoka turned over everything that he had gathered from the detective and the various murder sites that they had visited, as well as from Kakinomoto-san. *Kakinomoto-san and Detective Hatoyama both have the same response to Tsuzuki . . . The emotions from the murder sites are too faded for me to pull anything other than fear or slight flashes of triumph from the de . . . THE DEMON! I wonder . . . if it's true then . . . I wonder if Tsuzuki has thought of that yet? It would explain why . . .* Hisoka's thoughts trailed off as they walked up to the house of the newest victim. The girl, only fourteen according to their records, had been found dead only a week before he and Tsuzuki had been assigned to the case. Apparently the parents had been so traumatized by the sudden loss and return of their little girl they were in total denial that she had even died, refusing to talk to anyone who said differently. Hisoka sighed inwardly, knowing that they probably weren't going to get anywhere with these people either. Tsuzuki walked up to the door and knocked lightly before stepping back to wait for an answer.  
  
A girl, about eighteen or nineteen, opened the door and looked at them , one dark eyebrow raised, "Can I help you?"  
  
Tsuzuki flashed the girl his most charming smile and showed her his fake police badge, "I am Detective Tsuzuki Asato, and this is my partner Kurosaki Hisoka. Is this where Iseki Naoko lives?"  
  
The girl stepped out of the house, closing the door behind her and leaning against it, "And if it is?"  
  
"We would just like to ask her a few questions," Tsuzuki smiled at the girl again.  
  
A heavy sigh escaped the girl's lips, "Listen, my parents aren't home right now, I'm Naoko's older sister, Natsumi . . . well, I was her older sister."  
  
Hisoka looked at Natsumi, "'Was?'"  
  
"Yes, was. I refuse to believe that . . . that . . . *thing* that came back to us is my little sister!" Natsumi's eyes sparked dangerously, and she spat out the word "thing" as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.  
  
"What do you mean 'thing,'" Tsuzuki asked, feeling as if they were getting closer to something, "Most of the other victims' families consider the return of their loved ones a miracle."  
  
"Pah! Miracle! It would be a miracle if the Naoko who came back was my real little sister, but she's not. I don't know what she is," Natsumi pushed herself away from the door and looked into Tsuzuki's eyes, studying him, "Hmmm, you aren't like *her* it's probably safe to tell you. Come inside, please."  
  
Before either of them could say anything, Natsumi had disappeared inside the house, leaving the door open for them to follow. They followed Natsumi past the living room and down a hallway before Hisoka spoke up, "Where are we going?"  
  
Natsumi looked over her shoulder and flashed Hisoka a fierce smile, "To my room. It's the only place that *thing* won't go."  
  
"Why?" Hisoka could feel this girl's emotions, it was as if someone had taken her emotions, stuck them in a blender and hit puree, there was almost no separating what she was feeling more of; anger, hatred, grief, love, or frustration.  
  
She flashed a peace sign at him, baring her teeth in a parody of a smile, "Protective charms. That's how I figured out that thing wasn't Naoko."  
  
"What do you mean? And why do you have protective charms?" Tsuzuki asked.  
  
Natsumi laughed ruefully as she ushered them into her room. Tsuzuki felt a slight tingling as he crossed into the teen's room. *Those must be the charms she was talking about. They're pretty powerful. I wonder how she learned them?*  
  
Natsumi's room was small and uncluttered; the only furniture was a low desk with a computer, a small futon, and a dresser. There were a few small knick- knacks sitting around the dresser and a poster hanging on the wall of lightning striking a tree. Natsumi motioned for them to sit on the futon as she settled herself cross-legged on the cushion in front of her desk. She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and studied both of them silently for awhile before speaking.  
  
"When Naoko was little she would always wake up crying, claiming to have seen ghosts or demons. My parents just thought it was a little girl's imagination and didn't do anything about it. One night, she came into my room, she was terrified. I let her sleep with me that night, but the next day we went to the library and started studying protective charms. We went everyday for two weeks as soon as we got out of school, learning how to properly cast and release protective charms. Finally we settled on two powerful ones for our rooms and smaller ones for her to carry around with her. After we cast them Naoko stopped having nightmares and she could sleep peacefully, she never had to sleep with me again."  
  
Tsuzuki nodded, understanding. He liked this girl, she didn't just push her sister's fears away like her parents had, she had helped her little sister with her problem and now she was trying to do the same. "You said the charms were how you knew that the Naoko who came back wasn't your sister. How?"  
  
Natsumi sighed and looked to the side, tears of anger and grief forming in her dark brown eyes, "When she got back home from the hospital I had to dispel the charms before she could go into her room. Those charms were made to allow anyone who is human and without malicious intent into the room. I know Naoko, no matter what she never wished anyone any harm. That thing that returned isn't Naoko. It doesn't even act like Naoko. On the surface it does, but every now and then it seems as if she is a puppet without a master, just standing or sitting, a glazed expression on her face, lifeless."  
  
"Have you told anyone else about this?"  
  
Natsumi snorted, "Who would I tell? I tried talking to my parents about it, but they are happy living in the fantasy world where they don't have to remember going to the morgue to identify Naoko's body! But I remember, and every time I try to tell them, they get angry and punish me! It's not fair!!! Why can't I live in the world they're living in!? Then I wouldn't close my eyes and see Naoko's body lying on that cold steel!"  
  
Natsumi stood up and started pacing her room, tears sliding down her face. Hisoka felt her emotions crystallize, bringing her anger and resentment crashing over him. The only other person he had ever felt with such chaotic emotions was Tsuzuki! Tsuzuki seemed to understand what Natsumi needed, because he stood up and wrapped his arms gently around the enraged teenager, and it was as if Natsumi just suddenly deflated. She collapsed against Tsuzuki and just started crying. Hisoka was having a hard time keeping all of her pain from overwhelming him. He felt sorry for this girl, to have to bear such a burden.  
  
After a few minutes Natsumi lifted her head and gave Tsuzuki a watery smile, "I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me."  
  
Tsuzuki smiled back at her, "It's okay, you just needed to get it out. We don't mind. Can you continue, or should we come back later?"  
  
Natsumi sniffed and wiped her nose with a Kleenex, "No, I don't know when my parents will be gone for this long again. Now is the only time we have for sure."  
  
Tsuzuki nodded and they both returned to their previous seats, Hisoka having never left his through the whole ordeal. Tsuzuki continued asking questions almost immediately, "You said your parents wouldn't listen . . . but what about other police officers? Surely someone else came to investigate this?"  
  
Natsumi hiccupped and shook her head, "There was no way I was going to tell that woman about my sister! I didn't trust her!"  
  
Hisoka and Tsuzuki exchanged a surprised look and Hisoka asked, "What woman?"  
  
"She said her name was Detective Hatoyama. I don't know why I didn't trust her . . . I mean, she was really nice to my parents and didn't get angry or even frustrated with them when they continually denied the fact that Naoko had ever died . . . I guess maybe that's it, she just seemed too willing to allow my parents to continue to live in their bubble. I've never heard of a police officer who would risk a case just to allow the victims to delude themselves."  
  
"Is Naoko home, now?"  
  
When Natsumi nodded Hisoka looked at Tsuzuki before turning back to her and asking, "May we speak with her? We want to ask her about her accident."  
  
Natsumi stood up and led them back to the living room where she motioned them to sit down before she walked back down the hallway in search of her sister.  
  
"Hisoka, what is it?" Tsuzuki asked after he was sure Natsumi wouldn't be able to hear.  
  
Hisoka looked at Tsuzuki and shook his head, "I think that Detective Hatoyama might have a little more to do with this case than it appears. You know how I told you that Hatoyama and Kakinomoto-san had identical emotions?"  
  
Tsuzuki nodded, but before Hisoka could continue, Natsumi walked back into the room, a girl who looked no older than twelve trailing behind her. Natsumi stopped in front of the couch where the two Shinigami were seated, "Naoko, this is Detective Tsuzuki and Officer Kurosaki. They would like to ask you a few questions."  
  
Naoko smiled beautifully at the two, "Nice to meet you."  
  
As soon as Naoko sat down in the oversized recliner next to the couch Natsumi left, presumably back to her room.  
  
Tsuzuki leaned forward and smiled at the girl, "We would like to ask you a few questions about your accident. Is that okay?"  
  
When Naoko nodded, Hisoka closed his eyes, blocking out the conversation between his partner and the girl. He focused his mind on reading Naoko's emotions, as expected he couldn't read much, he could feel brief flashes of lust and anticipation, but, stronger than either of those, was a sharp feeling of triumph.  
  
After only a few moments, Hisoka opened his eyes again, his mouth set as he thought about what he had just felt. *Both Kakinomoto-san and Detective Hatoyama felt identical. Emotionless, save for those flashes of lust toward Tsuzuki . . . now Naoko feels the same as Detective Hatoyama did . . . it can't be a coincidence, but what does it mean? Is Hatoyama a victim of the demon as well? Or is she something else? Why was their suddenly triumph after she kissed Tsuzuki? Was she just happy that she succeeded in kissing him a second time? But if that is true, then why does Naoko feel the same way? Was I right before?*  
  
"UGHHH!" the sudden silence mad Hisoka realize that his exclamation had been audible. He looked up to see both Tsuzuki and Naoko staring at him with identical bewildered expressions. Color flooded his face, painting him a bright red, and he ducked his head down, allowing his bangs to fall in over his eyes. "Sorry. I'm having trouble with a problem."  
  
Tsuzuki stared at him for a moment, but Hisoka's minute nod told him that everything was fine. The older Shinigami turned back to Naoko, "Is there anything else that you can remember?"  
  
Naoko shook her head, her short black hair swirling about her elfin features, "Uh-uh. That's all. I was walking home, and then suddenly I woke up in the hospital. I was so scared when I woke up . . . I had no idea what had happened or anything . . ."  
  
Hisoka stared at the girl, even though her lower lip trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes, he felt only the absolute triumph, anticipation, and lust. The emotions that her face showed were nothing but a simple actress' mask she put on and off as easily as one drew breath. He stood up and Tsuzuki did the same, "Thank you. You've helped a lot."  
  
Naoko seemed to struggle with a watery smile, "You're welcome. Are you leaving now?"  
  
They nodded and bid the small teen farewell before walking out of the house. They only got as far as the road before Natsumi ran out of the house, calling after them.  
  
Tsuzuki turned around, his head cocked to one side, "Nani?"  
  
The vivacious eighteen-year-old stopped only an inch away from Tsuzuki and glared up at him, jabbing him in the chest with a finger at regular intervals, "So, *what* are you going to do about that *thing* impersonating my sister?"  
  
Tsuzuki shrugged the enraged teen off of him, taking a quick step back. Hisoka answered her quietly, "We're going to do everything in our power to put your sister's spirit to rest."  
  
Natsumi dropped her head, she seemed defeated, but at the same time relieved, "That's all I ask. I just want this nightmare to end." With that she turned around and ran back into her house, not even bothering to say good-bye.  
  
The two shimmered into spirit mode and flew into the air. After a few moments of silence, Tsuzuki asked, "'Soka, did you find anything out?"  
  
Hisoka nodded his head briskly, "I think so. There are just a few more connections that I need to make."  
  
"Well . . . why don't you tell me what you have so far, and then maybe I can help you figure out the rest."  
  
Hisoka let his mind filter through the information as he spoke, "I told you Kakinomoto-san and Hatoyama had identical emotions. Well, Naoko's emotions were identical to Hatoyama's as well. Nothing except lust, anticipation and triumph. It was strange, though, because the anticipation and triumph only appeared after Hatoyama kissed you."  
  
Tsuzuki shuddered at the memory of that woman's lips on his. It wasn't so much that he was completely opposed to kissing women, but ever since Hisoka and him had become lovers, hell ever since Hisoka had become his partner, he hadn't even *looked* at a woman in that manner. And that woman, Tsuzuki gave a mental shudder; there was just something off about her. Tsuzuki nodded for Hisoka to continue.  
  
"Well, that brings up a few questions: What is Hatoyama? Is she a victim of the demon? If she is a victim, then could she develop emotions on her own? If the victims can have their own emotions, then why would Naoko feel the same as Hatoyama? If not, is she a normal human? Is she being possessed by the demon? Is she just being used by the demon? If so, what for? Why use Hatoyama? If not, then what else could she be? Do you think she could be the demon?"  
  
Tsuzuki thought for a moment on everything that Hisoka had said before he replied slowly, his usual puppyish manner replaced by a more serious and focused one, "I think that you have already figured it out, Hisoka. It would make sense that the demon would use a detective, especially one who has control over the entire case. Besides, who would ever seriously suspect a police officer of murder? Whether or not Hatoyama is being possessed or really is the demon, I don't know."  
  
Hisoka nodded, and let out a heavy sigh, "I just wish I could get a similar emotion from the demon. Then I could . . . wait . . . the feather!" Hisoka's eyes fluttered halfway closed as he remembered the brief, but intense flashes of emotions he had received from the demon's feather. His eyes widened and his head snapped in Tsuzuki's direction, "The demon's feeling of triumph is identical to Hatoyama's! That just leaves the most important question, then: What does she want with you?"  
  
"Perhaps I may help you with that one," a deep, and smooth, timbre said from behind them. The two whirled around, coming face-to-face with what looked like a demented angel hovering not ten feet away from them. The creature had immense blood-red wings that beat the air in steady time, keeping the thing stable. Its eyes were an intense glacier blue, and gleamed somewhat sadistically from a heart-shaped face. Full red lips were parted in a smug smile, revealing sharp, bleach white fangs. It wore only a pair of extremely loose white pants, revealing a smooth alabaster chest. Wickedly curved and sharp claws extended from elegant and graceful looking fingers. The most startling thing of all though, was the long milk-white hair that flowed down it's back and behind delicately pointed ears, identical to Detective Hatoyama's.  
  
The demon gave them a graceful mid-air bow before speaking, his voice as elegant as a courtier's, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am called Xios, although you may know me better as Detective Kimiko Hatoyama. A rather rude and crass woman, if I may say so myself, but she does serve her purposes. A most effective disguise. It is almost a shame that those humans are so easily fooled."  
  
Tsuzuki and Hisoka exchanged a quick glance, they had wanted to find whatever was causing all the deaths. Well, they had, and he wasn't at all what they had expected! 


	7. Aftermath

A/N: MorningStar: Ummm, yeah, the two things I write most about are in this chapter, sex and violence. FF.net peeps, this chapter is VERY important so I HIGHLY recommend going to our website to finish it. Something very important and very crucial to the plot happens at the end, and I don't want you guys to be lost in the next chapter. By the way . . . it had to happen. *Runs and hides* DON'T KILL ME!!! DAMN MURAKI!!!  
  
BuddhaFrog: This is the whole FUCKING REASON for this Story!!! WHOLE REASON!! HOPE YOU ARE HAPPY HOLLI!!....Yeah don't kill MorningStar. *Points .45 ACP* I will be Pissed. Read and Review! *CHEESY SMILE* LOVE AND PEACE!!!  
  
Holli: Heh, heh, heh...I loves it! I loves it, I loves it! I am a wild dog! And I eat bread...and Naoe x Takaya pairing is fun. Yep. And RANDOM PUPPY!! Well, yeah. Heh.  
  
Very good chapter, very good! The shortest so far, but you know what...damn good. Heh. I loves it! So evil :D. Woo! ****************************************************************************  
  
Chapter Seven: Aftermath  
  
After a few moments of strained silence, Xios spoke up, his smooth voice belying the deadly intent he held within his heart, "Perhaps we should take this confrontation to someplace more comfortable?"  
  
Tsuzuki's eyes narrowed and his voice was dangerously low when he spoke, "Where did you have in mind?"  
  
Xios placed one clawed hand over his chest, his face pulling into an expression of wounded pride, "My, my, such a malicious tone! I'm hurt!" The demon laughed, an evil sound that sent chills down both Shinigamis' spines, "I visited a most lovely park that rests not ten miles from here, a nice secluded little spot that rarely gets any visitors. Why don't we go there? It'd be so much more comfortable than hanging around in mid-air."  
  
Without even waiting for an answer from either Shinigami, the demon turned around and flew off. Tsuzuki turned to Hisoka, a frown creasing his normally happy features, "Well?"  
  
Hisoka stared after the quickly diminishing form of Xios, "The only thing he wants is you . . . all of his emotions revolve around you. I just don't know what it is he wants from you, and we he feels so triumphant already! Maybe we should wait and tell Watari what we have discovered. We don't want to fight him without knowing what he is capable of."  
  
Tsuzuki shook his head, "No, whatever that thing wants, right now he is focused more on me than anything else. If we wait he might kill another human. It's better if we take him on now, while he has come to us."  
  
With that the two set off after the retreating form of Xios, Hisoka and Tsuzuki both lost in their own thoughts. Tsuzuki was only thinking about how to defeat the demon and saving those poor souls who he had killed, while Hisoka was trying to figure out exactly why the demon wanted Tsuzuki and why it felt so gleeful.  
  
It wasn't long before the two were standing in the middle of a rather quaint little park. It had sakura trees marking the perimeter all around and an unkempt flower garden that seemed to have gone wild, spreading well beyond its set boundaries. There was a small rock garden that had weeds and a tiny sapling growing in it, and the remainders of what was once a dirt path winding all around. Xios stood a few feet away from the rock garden, his wings spread to their fullest, and a smug smile adorning his effeminate face.  
  
Hisoka stared around the park and whispered to Tsuzuki, "There are others here. I can feel them."  
  
"Human?" Tsuzuki whispered back, keeping his eyes on the smiling demon in front of them.  
  
Hisoka shook his head, "They're his victims. It's like an echoing of his feelings all around us."  
  
Tsuzuki nodded and addressed the demon, "You can stop hiding them. We know they are here."  
  
Xios laughed again, the same evil laugh as before, and tilted his head in acknowledgment, "Very well. No use in hiding what has already been found."  
  
From behind the sakura trees all ten of the Xios's victims walked out. There were six men and four women in all, including Kakinomoto-san and Naoko. They surrounded the two Shinigami without getting too close. Their eyes were blank while identical smug smiles twisted their lips. It was a little disconcerting to both Tsuzuki and Hisoka to see these people, who moved and had the eyes of puppets, grin in such a malicious way.  
  
Tsuzuki pulled out a fuda and held it between his fingers, trying to watch all of the people while still keeping an eye on Xios. He felt Hisoka lightly touch his arm and quietly whisper, "You take care of the demon. I'll make sure none of the victims interfere."  
  
A silent nod was all the answer the serious teen got before the fight was underway.  
  
Tsuzuki leapt into the air, Xios a quick wing beat behind him. They met in mid-air and Hisoka watched as Xios's wings wrapped around both of the combatants, but then he couldn't watch anymore, as the demon's victims charged at him.  
  
A loud explosion sent the two mid-air fighters in opposite directions, courtesy of Tsuzuki's rather powerful fire fuda. Xios back-winged coming to a stop mid-air and bared his fangs gleefully at Tsuzuki, "Oh, yes, you are indeed powerful beyond my wildest dreams."  
  
"What do you want with me? Why do you bring your victims back to life?" Tsuzuki asked, pulling out another of his seemingly endless fuda spells.  
  
Xios's laugh peeled through the air, it was a different laugh now, a condescending one, "My, my, we've been watching too much television haven't we? Tsk, tsk, you must have a very low opinion of me indeed to think that I would be dumb enough to reveal that to you."  
  
Tsuzuki shrugged, "Doesn't matter anyway. You're going to die today and then their souls will be free."  
  
Xios laughed again before charging directly at Tsuzuki. The violet eyed Shinigami braced himself, preparing to counter the demon's attack with his fuda. Just before the demon got to him though, his wings folded and he dove towards the ground and, to Tsuzuki's horror, straight at Hisoka.  
  
"'SOKA!!!" Tsuzuki yelled and moved to intercept.  
  
Hisoka looked up at Tsuzuki's yell, trying to keep all ten of the victims from ripping him apart. He hit one of the women in the side of the head with a round-house before he noticed a pair of very sharp claws. He threw up a protective shield, sending all ten of the victims and Xios flying away from him, but not before he felt the sting as those claws raked his neck. He felt blood sliding down his neck and soaking into the collar of his shirt. Perfect, blood stains were such a bitch to wash out! The next thing he knew Tsuzuki was standing in front of him, worry dripping from him and reflecting in his amethyst eyes.  
  
"'Soka, are you alright?" Tsuzuki's voice was strained and his hands were turning the teen every which way, trying to look at all of him at once.  
  
Hisoka slapped Tsuzuki's hands away and answered shortly, "I'm fine. Take care of Xios."  
  
Tsuzuki turned from his partner, violet eyes flashing purple fire as he pinned Xios with his gaze. The demon's eyes widened a little in fear, Tsuzuki wasn't fucking around anymore! His hands clapped together and he quietly chanted, "I pray to the twelve gods who protect me, come before me. Come Suzaku!"  
  
A loud screech tore through the air as a giant fireball flew into the sky. The fireball took on the form of fiery wings and a graceful head with bright red eyes. Suzaku lifted her head and let out another ear piercing shriek. Her gaze swept the park and landed on the hovering form of Xios.  
  
Tsuzuki glared at Xios, "Bak!"  
  
A stream of flame erupted from Suzaku's mouth, aimed directly for the demon. Xios only had time to blink before he was engulfed in the skin- searing flames. The demon threw his head back as a gurgling high-pitched scream was ripped from his throat. It took only a few seconds before not even ashes remained of the cocky demon.  
  
It was as if the strings of the marionettes were cut as all of the victims dropped to the ground in a boneless heap. Tsuzuki and Hisoka looked around the park, all ten of the victims were sprawled out where they had been standing, and there wasn't a sign of the demon anywhere.  
  
Hisoka sighed heavily, panting a little from trying to fend off all ten of the victims, "It's over."  
  
"It seemed too easy. A little anti-climatic after all we went through. You know?" Tsuzuki sighed, looking over the scene, "I guess we should go back to Meifu and file our reports."  
  
* * *  
  
The two Shinigami returned to Meifu and spent the rest of the day sorting through, and filing, paperwork. Tatsumi congratulated them on solving the case before too much money was spent. Watari just grinned shrugging his shoulders when they apologized for making him do all the unneeded research.  
  
Tsuzuki collapsed face down onto the couch whenever they got back to their house. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt extremely tired, as if he had fought for more than just a few minutes. His entire body ached, and for some reason he kept on getting flashes of his fight with Saagatanasu. He wasn't sure why, the only similarity at all was the fact that Xios and Saagatanasu both wanted him for some reason. Thinking of his battle with Saagatanasu of course brought up images of Hijiri. Tsuzuki still couldn't believe how much Hijiri and Hisoka looked alike. Although, after three years, Hijiri would have gained a good foot on Tsuzuki, even so, the two would still look very similar.  
  
Tsuzuki placed his head on his arm, hiding his eyes, and sighed heavily. He felt physically, emotionally, and mentally drained. All he wanted was too just lay back and sleep for a good week. The fight with Xios must have taken a lot more out of him than he thought.  
  
He felt strong, slender hands running up his back, gently massaging the tension out of his muscles. He let out a low groan of contentment and sunk deeper into the couch. He felt Hisoka straddle his hips and add more pressure to his massage. The feel of Hisoka's hands on his back were soothing and Tsuzuki felt the tension slowly drain out of him, leaving him feeling like a puddle of liquid. Those talented hands slipped beneath Tsuzuki's shirt and slowly ran up the bare skin of his back, turning from powerful massage to sensual caresses.  
  
Hisoka was trying to relax Tsuzuki; he could feel his partner's tension building since he defeated the demon. It was almost as if Tsuzuki had expended more energy than he really had. By the time they made it home, Tsuzuki was wound tighter than a yo-yo. He had seen his lover collapse on the couch and decided that the only way Tsuzuki would be rid of all the tension was to give him a massage. As soon as he felt all of the muscles in Tsuzuki's back relax, he slipped his hands beneath the white cotton shirt and began to slowly caress the sensitive skin. He really wasn't trying to get Tsuzuki aroused, just trying to relax him enough that the older man would sleep without trouble. Unfortunately, Hisoka could feel that his plan, while relaxing Tsuzuki, was also getting him very, very aroused, and Tsuzuki's feelings were slowly starting to seep into him, making his jeans a little more restricting than usual.  
  
Tsuzuki felt Hisoka's hardening erection press against his ass and bit down a groan, he was really enjoying the massage and wanted it to continue. He allowed his mind to wander, trying not to focus on the wonderful hands and sexy teen sitting on top of him. Besides he wanted Hisoka to be in charge of making the next move. *This case took longer than I would have liked . . . at least no one else died while we were investigating . . . ooooh, that feels good . . . Hisoka knows just where to massage . . . mmmm, ah, can't think about it . . . case, I was thinking about the case . . . I wonder what the demon wanted with me? . . . Two demons wanted me, I wonder whether it was for the same reason? . . . Saagatanasu wanted me because of my powers, could that be the same reason Xios wanted me? If so, why didn't he try possessing me? . . . At least there wasn't another innocent like Hijiri or Kazusa involved, everyone was already dead . . . I still can't believe how much those two looked alike . . . If Hisoka just had black hair he would have been a dead-ringer for Hijiri . . . I wonder how Hijiri's doing now?*  
  
The more Tsuzuki's mind revolved around Hijiri the harder he got. When he noticed this his eyes snapped open and a wave of guilt washed through him. He pushed up, signaling that he wanted to sit up. Hisoka got off of his lover and Tsuzuki made a quick retreat into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He needed a shower.  
  
Hisoka stared after Tsuzuki, not sure what the hell had just happened. One minute he knew Tsuzuki was enjoying his ministrations, and the next his lover had been filled with guilt. What was going on? What had happened to make Tsuzuki fill so guilty? Hisoka wasn't about to just sit around and wonder, he stood up and followed, fully intending on asking Tsuzuki what the hell was up with him.  
  
The scalding water swept over Tsuzuki's body as he braced himself against the wall with his arms, his head bent forward. He was trying to wash away the guilt and the images of Hijiri that continued to sweep through his mind. What was *wrong* with him? He *loved* Hisoka, really loved Hisoka. He couldn't imagine being with anyone else . . . ever. So, why, all of a sudden, was he thinking about Hijiri? And why were those thoughts making him hard? It didn't make any sense at all. He couldn't let Hisoka find out, the teen would be crushed, and after everything Tsuzuki had done to convince the boy that he loved him in the first place . . . Tsuzuki shook his head, no, he couldn't let Hisoka find out . . . ever.  
  
Hisoka quietly opened the door to the bathroom, and stopped. Tsuzuki was leaning against the wall of the bathroom, looking utterly dejected and pitiful. His body was tensed and his eyes were clenched shut as if he were in pain. Hisoka felt the waves of guilt and arousal washing over him. It was a strange combination, one he hadn't felt since before they became lovers. At that time Tsuzuki had felt guilty for wanting to sleep with him before he was ready. Looking back, Hisoka had to smile and shake his head at the idiot's consideration. Although if Tsuzuki hadn't taken it so slow with him Hisoka wasn't sure what would have happened. Maybe Tsuzuki was feeling the same now because of the way Hisoka looked. The teen knew he looked as if he had been sent through the ringer a few times. His skin was paler than usual and he had deep bruises under both his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in weeks. In fact, almost everyone at work had made the comment that he looked awful and should probably get some rest. Hisoka had just shrugged off their concern, saying he was fine, but now he was feeling a little off, more tired and strained than he should. Hisoka knew that it wasn't Tsuzuki's own strain affecting him, these were his own *true* feelings.  
  
Tsuzuki sensed that someone was watching him. He turned around to see Hisoka standing in the bathroom doorway, just looking at him, a combination of desire and fatigue swirling about his darkened emerald eyes. Tsuzuki pushed himself away from the wall and stalked toward Hisoka. He swept the teen into a fierce embrace, claiming Hisoka's lips in a brutal kiss. *This* is what he wanted; this beautiful, responsive teen that clung so desperately to him. He lashed Hisoka's lips with his tongue until they opened for him, and then he plunged inside. Tsuzuki knew he was getting Hisoka's clothes wet, but he didn't care, he needed to feel Hisoka, to reassure himself that *this* is where he belonged. He lifted the teen in his arms until Hisoka's feet weren't touching the floor and carried him into the shower, never moving his mouth form Hisoka's.  
  
The young Shinigami had no choice but to cling to Tsuzuki as he was swept into the shower, his clothes becoming soaked after only a few seconds beneath the scalding spray. His mouth was finally released as Tsuzuki yanked his shirt off and tossed it out of the shower where it landed with a loud splat. As soon as his shirt was off Tsuzuki was once more kissing him furiously, almost desperately. Hisoka ran his hands over the hard planes of Tsuzuki's chest and back, while his mouth was completely devoured and worshipped by his older lover.  
  
Tsuzuki drank the heated water from Hisoka's lips as if it were the sweetest of ambrosia. He needed to feel the teen beneath him, needed to taste him, in everyway possible. The need to taste and feel the body that he was so familiar with was almost driving him insane. He tore his lips away from Hisoka's and made a trail down the slender neck, sipping the water that ran in rivulets down the teen's body as he went. Somehow, drinking the water from *his* Hisoka, from the body that he had seen more times than he could count, made it taste that much sweeter. He tried to focus his mind completely on giving his young lover the greatest of pleasure; he tried not to think of the case, or Saagatanasu, or, even worse, Hijiri. ****************************************************************************  
  
A/N: MorningStar: Again due to ff.net regulations I can't post the last part of this on here, but once more I urge you to go and read it on our website, it is important . . . VERY VERY important. And, once more I ask that you PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!! DAMN MURAKI!!! 


	8. Tsuzuki's Madness

MorningStar: _sighs heavily_ Wow, finally. Chapter 8 is done. I know, I know, I thought the same thing. But between finals for school, getting my ass moved back and forth between houses, and trying to find a job, I haven't had as much time to write as I wanted. Plus, I have another story (not a fanfic) that I promised a friend to finish. Anyway, I would like to thank SapphireDragon for the great reviews (and the kick in the ass, hey look I'm back in the present!). Thanks to all the other reviewers as well. It's always wonderful to hear feedback on a story, especially when as much has been put into it as this one has. Hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the others. DAMN MURAKI!!!

Chapter 8:  
Tsuzuki's Madness

Tsuzuki stirred and opened eyes that felt gummy and dry, as if someone had poured sand in them and then glued them shut. Light lanced into his pupils, sending jolts of pounding agony straight to his brain. He groaned and closed his eyes again. He must've had more to drink last night than he thought. Strange, though, he couldn't remember even having _one_ drink, let alone enough to make him pass out and unable to remember anything from the previous night. He turned to his side, wondering why the bed seemed so hard, and slowly opened one eye, allowing his poor brain to get used to the bright morning light. _Oh, that's why the bed is so hard . . . I'm on the floor.  
_  
Tsuzuki's eye roamed around the room, landing on the coffee table only a foot away from his nose, the couch and loveseat, and the end table, bringing him to the conclusion he was in the living room. He wondered where Hisoka was and why the teen hadn't put him into the bed like he usually did when he had a little too much to drink. Tsuzuki sighed, his partner had probably finally had enough and left him on the floor while he went to bed. It had happened once before, only that time Tsuzuki had woken up in the bathroom . . . and with clothes on. _I'll have to spend most of the day apologizing to him. He'll forgive me, though. He always does.  
_  
A small groan escaped from Tsuzuki's lips as he pushed himself into a sitting position, he pressed a palm against his head and groaned again, feeling lightheaded. He kept getting flashes of a horrendous nightmare, and his entire body ached, but he attributed that to the fight with Xios and sleeping on a rock-hard floor all night. He couldn't remember much after leaving the office, so he assumed he had just had too much to drink while celebrating with Hisoka.  
  
Tsuzuki grabbed on to the edge of the coffee table and leveraged himself onto shaking legs. He stumbled into the bedroom, "'Soka? I'm sorry I pass-s- s-s . . ." He trailed off when he saw that Hisoka wasn't, in fact, in the bed.  
  
"'Soka? 'Soka?" Tsuzuki looked in their bathroom, but Hisoka wasn't there either. Tsuzuki got dressed, wondering where his wayward lover could be, and went back into the living room. He paused at the door, smiled and had to stifle a laugh when he saw that Hisoka was lying on the floor near where he had been. He shook his head, and just admired the teen. He seemed so peaceful, lying on the floor with only a towel covering the lower half of his body. Dark brows lowered as Tsuzuki noticed that there seemed to be something a little strange about his young lover, something not quite right about the way the teen was lying. He stared at Hisoka, trying to pinpoint exactly what was odd about his partner. _What is it? He looks all right. Although he seems a little too stiff, almost motionless._ Then Tsuzuki realized that, in the two or three minutes he'd been watching Hisoka, the teen's chest hadn't moved at all!  
  
Tsuzuki hurried over and knelt next to the still form of his partner. A shaking hand reached toward Hisoka, visions presumed to be flashes of a horrible nightmare starting to become a vicious reality.  
  
"'S-Soka?" His hand came into contact with cold, clammy skin. He gently shook Hisoka's arm, his voice becoming panicked as memories returned, "'Soka, please wake up. 'Soka!"  
  
The trembling hand traveled upwards, searching for the quick thumps that would tell him Hisoka was alive and well but finding none. Memory crashed into Tsuzuki's brain like a tsunami, leaving devastation and despair in its wake. Tsuzuki clutched his hands to his head, as if that tiny gesture alone would keep the memories from invading his head, and howled out his anguish. His partner, his love, was dead. And the last thing they had done together had turned into one of Tsuzuki's greatest regrets, not because they had done it, but because of his mistake.  
  
As if holding the finest and most delicate of spun glass, Tsuzuki carried Hisoka's body into their bedroom, where he took the utmost care in dressing his young lover. Tsuzuki chose the orange shirt and jeans that had been Hisoka's favorite, along with the worn denim jacket that almost always accompanied the young Shinigami. Throughout the process Tsuzuki's eyes stayed dry, it was almost as if he had shed every tear that could ever be held within his body last night. When he was done, he once more cradled Hisoka's body against his chest. His eyes had become glazed and unfocused as he stared at the body in his arms and, without realizing it, he teleported to the division office. 

  
  
"Watari, I told you no," Tatsumi said calmly as he walked down the halls of Enmacho.  
  
"But, Tatsumi, I _need_ one for the experiments I'm doing," Watari begged for the hundredth time that morning.  
  
"Well, you should have thought of that before you blew the last one up."  
  
"I couldn't help that! That's why it's called experimenting! Now I know that twelve drops is too much. Next time I won't put in that many, but I _need_ a new Bunsen burner to continue!"  
  
Tatsumi stopped and turned to Watari, using the most effective of his glares, the one he usually reserved for Tsuzuki when he was begging for more money for sweets, "No, we don't have the money."  
  
"But . . ."  
  
"You should have thought of that before you blew it up! Now, enough!" Tatsumi turned on his heel and continued down the hall, ignoring Watari. Just before he reached his office he heard footsteps running down the hall, coming after him. With his hand on the doorknob, Tatsumi turned and glared at Watari, "What?"  
  
Watari held up his hands, making a peace sign with one of them and smiled, "I was wondering if you wanted to do something after work?"  
  
A small smile graced Tatsumi's lips as he opened the door to his office, "What did you have in mind?"  
  
Watari grinned and bounced into Tatsumi's office, "Well, I was thinking we could . . . Hey, Tatsumi, what's wrong? You're just standing there. Tatsu . . . Tsuzuki?"  
  
Tsuzuki was standing in the middle of Tatsumi's office, Hisoka's body hugged protectively against his chest, a look of such absolute, soul searing pain on his face that it was difficult to look at him. Glazed violet eyes flicked to Watari, pleading silently.  
  
"Tsuzuki-san, what happened?" Tatsumi asked, staring at the unnaturally still form of the young Shinigami.  
  
Tsuzuki stared down at Hisoka, then flicked back up to Tatsumi, begging, "Tatsumi, Watari, he's . . . I didn't know . . . He didn't say anything. Just collapsed. Never forgive myself. All my fault. . ."  
  
Tsuzuki continued to babble, all the time holding onto Hisoka's body as if he would never let it go. Watari walked up to Tsuzuki and placed two fingers along Hisoka's throat, searching for a pulse. Alarmed, he looked over at Tatsumi, "He's dead. I don't know how, but he's dead. Tsuzuki, what happened?"  
  
Tsuzuki shook his head, "It's all my fault. I didn't notice. I should have, he was too tired, he looked drained . . ."  
  
Watari tried to take Hisoka, but Tsuzuki held on tighter, refusing to let the teen's body go. Watari looked at Tatsumi pleadingly, "Tatsumi, help me get Hisoka, I don't think Tsuzuki even knows where he is, and I want to see if I can't find out what killed him."  
  
Tatsumi nodded and little tendrils of shadows wrapped themselves around Hisoka's body and Tsuzuki's arms, gently prying the older Shinigami's hands away from Hisoka's body. The teen floated briefly in midair, supported by Tatsumi's shadows, before Watari cradled him in his own arms. Tsuzuki made a small sound in the back of his throat and looked around, seemingly lost. His eyes landed on Watari gently holding Hisoka, "Watari? Tatsumi? H-how did I . . . ? The last thing I remember is dressing Hisoka."  
  
Watari looked at Tatsumi, silently asking him to take care of their shattered friend before turning and leaving the office. Tsuzuki started to follow, but Tatsumi stopped him with an arm across the other man's chest. Tsuzuki looked up at Tatsumi, confusion scrawled across his face.  
  
Tatsumi took Tsuzuki's arm and gently led him out of the office and toward the break room, "Come on, Tsuzuki-san. Let's get you something to eat, and you can tell me what happened."  
  
Tsuzuki sat down at the table in the break room and waved Tatsumi away when the secretary offered him a plate full of donuts, "I'm not hungry, Tatsumi."  
  
Tatsumi's eyes widened and flicked warily to the ceiling, worried that perhaps the sky would fall right on top of them. He had never, in all his years of knowing Tsuzuki, heard the man turn down food, especially sweet food. He put the donuts back and sat in the chair across from Tsuzuki. He leaned forward on his elbows, clasping his hands in front of him, "What happened? When you left here, Hisoka seemed fine, a little tired, but fine."  
  
Tsuzuki looked up at Tatsumi, his eyes still glassy and dry, he shook his head and stared at the tabletop, his arms wrapped around himself, "I don't know. I should have noticed. It's all my fault."  
  
"Tsuzuki-san! Please, tell me what happened after you two left here!" Tatsumi's tone was sharp and brooked no argument.  
  
Tsuzuki started then nodded his head. He took a deep breath and, haltingly, told Tatsumi everything. His face flushed at times and he rocked in his seat with nerves. When he was finished with his story he looked up at Tatsumi, searching for any kind of reaction. Before Tatsumi could say anything, though, Watari walked into the room, "I did a blood test on Bon's body."  
  
Tsuzuki shuddered, "Don't say that, please. Just say Bon, or Hisoka. Not body."  
  
"What did you find?" Tatsumi asked, keeping his voice tightly controlled.  
  
Watari looked down at both of the Shinigami and said, pushing his glasses up, "There was poison in his blood. I've never seen this kind of poison before, but it's highly effective, and very potent. If Hisoka had been human, he would have died immediately, but his regenerative powers staved off death for a few hours. Tsuzuki didn't you notice Hisoka feeling weak, more exhausted than usual?"  
  
Tsuzuki looked up at Watari, alarmed, "He seemed tired, but said he was fine."  
  
"Why didn't you tell us yesterday? Why didn't you insist he come in so that Watari could look at him? Neither of you mentioned Hisoka coming into contact with the demon," Tatsumi's voice was no longer controlled but accusing.  
  
"You should have noticed _something _at least. I might have been able to help him had you brought him in last night," Watari glared at Tsuzuki.  
  
The violet-eyed Shinigami quailed beneath the accusing and nearly hateful glares of his two colleagues. Fresh tears, tears that he thought he didn't have, spilled down his cheeks, "It's all my fault. Everything is my fault. Thought he was fine, it was just a scratch, just a scratch."  
  
"Even a scratch could be dangerous when a poison this potent is used!" Watari placed both his hands on the table, leaning in close to Tsuzuki.  
  
Tsuzuki stood up, wild-eyed, and ran out of the break-room, muttering to himself, "Just a scratch. A scratch. Should have realized. My fault."  
  
Neither Tatsumi nor Watari made a move to follow him.

Tsuzuki ran, not sure where he was going, or even caring, just trying to outrun the pain that tore through his heart and soul like a jagged piece of glass. He fell at one point, ripping his pants and the skin on his knees and hands, but he clambered to his feet and continued to run. He came to a field where the grass reached up to his waist, but he didn't even slow down.  
  
"Tsuzuki-san!"  
  
Tsuzuki stumbled to a halt and looked around, eyes wide. He could have sworn he had heard someone calling to him, it almost sounded like Tatsumi. Tsuzuki shook his head and sat in the grass, hugging his knees to his chest. First he killed his best friend, partner, and lover, and _now _he was hearing things! Couldn't be Tatsumi, Tatsumi blamed him for Hisoka's death. It was his fault. HIS!  
  
"Tsuzuki, come back!"  
  
Tsuzuki started, looking around him. He could have sworn that was Watari's voice! Perfect, he was going crazy, that's all he needed. Watari blamed him just as much as Tatsumi. If only he had noticed, if only he had _told_ someone about the scratch. But it was only a scratch, it seemed fine. Only a scratch. Tsuzuki stumbled to his feet and looked around him, seeing only an endless field of grass.  
  
"Tsuzuki!"  
  
_I may be going crazy, but I could swear that was Hisoka's voice. I don't care. I have to find him. I don't care if it is just my imagination._ Tsuzuki started to run in the direction he thought the voice had come from.  
  
"Tsuzuki, you idiot!"  
  
Tsuzuki stopped and looked around, the field seemed to shimmer and then solidify around him. He shook his head, he _must _be going nuts. He hurried forward again, calling out, "Hisoka! 'Soka?"  
  
"Tsuzuki, you idiot. Where are you?"  
  
Tsuzuki ran faster, sure now that his insanity would lead him to some form of Hisoka. Without warning, he broke into a small clearing; the grass here trimmed short and neat, water lapping at the shore of a small lake. The water was a clear, perfect blue near the shore and a darker, deeper blue- bordering-on-black in the middle, showing that the lake was actually quite deep. Tsuzuki paused looking around at the rather peaceful scene. He walked to the edge of the lake and looked into the water. His reflection showed a man with dirt covering most of his clothes, a torn jacket, torn and bloodied pants, wild hair, and blood-shot eyes.  
  
"Tsuzuki!"  
  
He stumbled back, swearing that Hisoka's voice had come from the lake. He walked into the water until he was chest deep and stared hard at his reflection. The reflection flashed, the eyes becoming the same mint green color of Detective Hatoyama's eyes. Those eyes stared straight at him, the reflection that was him-and-not-him opened its mouth, revealing sharp fangs, and laughed silently. He stumbled back, fell, and sank beneath the water.  
  
He floated down, further and further, the light above him becoming nothing more than a small pinprick, and then nothing. Tsuzuki hadn't thought he was that far into the lake. He had never heard of a lake that went this deep before. Tsuzuki knew he should be worried that he was sinking this far down, he would need air soon, but he just couldn't bring himself to care. He had killed Hisoka. Watari and Tatsumi were right, it was all his fault. He should have noticed. Added to that the extreme guilt he felt for calling out Hijiri's name. Now, it was too late to apologize to Hisoka, too late to take back a horrible mistake. Tsuzuki closed his eyes and let himself drift slowly deeper into the lake. A cloud of oblivion started to shroud his mind, slowly embracing him. He welcomed it.  
  
"Tsuzuki!" He heard the distant sound of Hisoka's voice calling to him and he smiled with the knowledge that he was going to join his young lover once more. That was his last thought before he completely surrendered to the darkness that clouded his mind.


End file.
